^tlp0 iox t\}t (Slttiet ^ont 



Pragers . (loUects . \)cxqcb 

COLLATED FROM MANY SOURCES 



WITH A PREFATORY ESSAY ON THE 

Culture of the Devotional Life 



BY 

Jesse Bowman Youngs D«D«^ Litt.D# 




NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS 
CINCINNATI: JENNINGS & GRAHAM 



BV245 



Copyright, 1900, 1909, by 
EATON & MAINS 



©CLA253563 



PREFATORY ESSAY 

THE CULTURE OF THE DEVOTIONAL 
LIFE 

A SPIRIT of devotion — vitally associated as 
it is with the growth of the real life of the 
soul — needs to be sedulously cultivated. This 
truth, although a commonplace in religious teach- 
ing, demands special attention in an age like ours, 
in which secularism, materialism, indifferentism, 
and other foes of spirituality are rife. These 
assailants carry on a subtle, specious, and pecul- 
iarly perilous warfare against the soul ; they 
create an atmosphere which tends to stifle and 
benumb the religious faculties. Hence those who 
would grow in the grace and in the knowledge 
of Christ need, in order to be armed in self-de- 
fense and ward off these hostile assailments, to 
avail themselves of all possible helps for the 
nurture of the new life which has been created 
within them. By the use of such aids the soul 
may cherish with ever-increasing interest and 
zest a reverent and worshipful spirit, a grateful 
sense of the divine presence in the daily life, a 
gladsome trust in the promises, a keen insight 
into the provisions of mercy which are enshrined 
in the Scriptures, and a constant enjoyment of 

3 



Prefatory Essay 

the fellowship which God maintains with those 
who revere and love him. These rewards may 
well incite us to seek after some of the secrets 
of the growth of the soul in the divine life. 

The means whereby a spirit of devotion may be 
developed and maintained are various. The 
habit of meditation upon appropriate passages 
of Scripture ; of imploring light and help from 
God in prayer; of lifting the soul heavenward 
on the wings of praise; of summoning noble 
ideals of conduct and character before the 
imagination ; of aspiring after a life of integrity, 
genuineness, usefulness, and piety ; and of trans- 
lating these aspirations and aims, day by day, 
into the terms of common life— this habit will 
occur to almost anyone who thinks on the sub- 
ject as involving the chief secret of victory over 
the world, the flesh, and the devil. By the means 
thus hinted at spiritual growth may be assured. 

One of the most helpful agencies for kindling 
the fires of devotion in the heart is the custom of 
pondering the choice devotional utterances of 
saintly men and women who in various ages have 
embodied in their lives the graces of the Gospel, 
and who have left their penitential aspirations, 
their heart yearnings, their mountain-top visions, 
their tearful struggles, and their rapturous vic- 
tories on record for our instruction and encour- 
agement. A selection from these inspiring and 

4 



Prefatory Essay 

fruitful sources has been gathered into the pres- 
ent volume in the confident hope that such a com- 
pilation, used as a handbook of devotion, will 
prove to those who have it in hand a constant 
source of quickening, comfort, and spiritual en- 
lightenment. 

Aside from the collection herein presented it 
may be suggestive to indicate, particularly to 
young people who have given but little thought 
to this theme, that there is a great and precious 
legacy for devout Christians stored up in what is 
called Devotional Literature. The range of this 
inheritance is large, and the treasures to be found 
therein are of incalculable worth. Let us at least 
glance at some of the masterpieces. 

The Book of Psalms is, of course, to be 
reckoned at the head of the list. It occupies the 
place to-day which it has maintained for more 
than twenty-five hundred years, as the noblest 
and most vivifying of all volumes of devotion. 
This book sounds all the depths, ascends all the 
heights, reaches all the expanses, and voices all 
the needs of the soul of man in its struggles to 
find and know God and walk in the way of his 
commandments. It touches every note in the 
gamut of religious experience. No matter what 
sorrows, sins, temptations, or burdens one may 
face, he will find in this wonderful book his ex- 
periences furnished with a tongue, his unutterable 

5 



Prefatory Essay 

longings voiced in prayer or praise, his inner life 
portrayed in panoramic visions. 

Certain portions of the Gospels, too, are pecul- 
iarly fitted to enliven the spirit of devotion, and 
help the believer to maintain *'a closer walk with 
God." Many of the words spoken by our Lord 
— such as the Sermon on the Mount, the fifteenth 
chapter of St. Luke, and the first, fourteenth, 
fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of 
St. John — should be memorized with this intent. 
The soul that lives on such nourishment as these 
words of Christ afford will not easily become 
barren or unfruitful. 

Christian Hymnology, also, is full of quick- 
ening for the spiritual life. A hymn book does 
not fulfill its functions when it serves as an aid 
in public worship; it has a far wider scope and 
ministry than this. Its office as a treasury of 
devotional thought and of worshipful aspirations, 
a stimulus to private prayer, a comforter in af- 
fliction, and a revealer of spiritual truth needs 
to be realized by the Church. Into it are amassed 
inestimable treasures which should serve for the 
enrichment of our spiritual life. Blessed indeed 
are those who know how to turn to a hymnal in 
order to get a hopeful view of things when tem- 
pests are darkening the sky; to discover fresh 
revelations of the power and rrace and love of 
the Redeemer ; and to obtain solace in trial, com- 

6 



Prefatory Essay 

fort in bereavement, and helps for uplifting the 
soul out of dull and dreary routines of toil and 
suffering. 

Devotional Poetry is another realm which is 
exceeding rich in its aids for the culture of 
reverence, gratitude, contrition, and the spirit 
of worship. The poets — many of them at least 
— are God's messengers; they reveal ofttimes 
flashes of the old prophetic fire. Through their 
rhythmic messages the Almighty speaks to men 
to-day just as really as he once did by the voice 
of Isaiah and Ezekiel. There are seasons in 
human life when the profoundest needs of the 
heart are met by the song of a poet ; when some 
chance stanza, a bit of fugitive verse, or perhaps 
a familiar poem opportunely recalled — some 
lyric utterance which may have been originally 
extorted from the singer's lips by loss, or pain, 
or struggle, or doubt — ministers to the tempted 
and stricken soul as though the words had been 
spoken by angelic lips, freshly anointed with fire 
from God's altar. Those who ignore the min- 
istry of religious poetry are in danger of living a 
life one great tract of which is left arid and fruit- 
less. Those, on the other hand, who have 
learned to discern and appreciate the higher min- 
istry of the poets come to know that these seers 
are rightly named: they see things invisible to 
other eyes. They interpret to us the meanings 

7 



Prefatory Essay 

and mysteries that are wrapped up in blossom, 
and rivulet, and bird, and forest; they translate 
to us God's words as these are written in seas, 
mountains, and stars; they unfold to us the se- 
crets of our own hearts ; they give us visions of 
our better and our worser selves to be found 
nowhere else; and they reveal to us the signifi- 
cance and the possibilities which are involved in 
human life with an insight and an authority 
which often make them in very deed God's mes- 
sengers and ministers to the erring, the tempted, 
and the sorrowing. Happy are they who have 
made Faber, and Charles Wesley, and Whittier, 
and Frances Ridley Havergal, and a score of 
other singers their intimate friends. Such can 
testify with Keble: 

** We know them by look and voice and thank them all 

For helping us in thrall, 
For words of hope and bright examples given, 
To show through moonless skies that there is light in 
heaven." 

The Book of Common Prayer, hallowed by its 
history, its associations, and its devotional fruit- 
fulness, is another help which needs to be empha- 
sized. In it are accumulated those forms of pub- 
lic and private prayer which in the course of the 
ages have proved profitable and edifying to "all 
sorts and conditions of men." Translated in part 

8 



Prefatory Essay 

into our language from other tongues, revised, 
modified, and enlarged, by one generation after 
another, it belongs to-day not to the ritualistic 
communions alone, but to all Christian believers 
of every name. To depend upon its forms of 
prayer to the exclusion of all effort at ex tempore 
supplication would, of course, be foolish; but 
surely there are few thoughtful people, no mat- 
ter how much peril they may discern in such use 
of the Prayer Book, who cannot find in it con- 
stant help as a handbook for the hour of medi- 
tation and worship in private. The spirit of de- 
votion which is embodied in its prayers is all 
athrob with life. Taught by such supplications 
as it contains, anyone who desires to be devout 
ought to be able to learn how to pray. 

Apart from those devotional compends which 
furnish forms of prayer there are certain works 
which are so well known as aids for the develop- 
ment of the religious life that we hardly need 
mention them. Baxter's Sainfs Everlasting 
Rest and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress will for- 
ever be cherished by lovers of the word. Among 
the books of our own time Dean Goulburn's 
Thoughts on Personal Religion, Austin Phelps's 
The Still Hour, and the minor works of that 
wonderful man, the blind preacher of Scotland, 
Rev. Dr. George Matheson, particularly his 
Voices of the Spirit and Moments on the Mount, 

9 



Prefatory Essay 

are fraught with spiritual insight and with edi- 
fying power. 

The Devotional Classics from which we have 
cited ensamples of prayer in the present volume 
are known to all students, and yet a word or two 
in regard to them may be of service. For six 
hundred years the work known as De Imitatione 
Christi has been a favorite in many quarters of 
the universal Church. Whether written by 
Thomas a Kempis or not, it has approved itself 
to discerning minds as the work of some great 
and saintly soul who knew the human heart, and 
who was acquainted with the Lord Jesus. Its 
contents sometimes have a monastic and mystical 
tone characteristic of the age in which it first 
appeared, but its vivisections of the human heart, 
its admonitions in behalf of a life of humility, 
self-denial, and fortitude, and its exaltation of 
the divine Saviour are features which have made 
it immortal. 

Another volume which has enriched our pages 
is Sacra Privata — the record of the private medi- 
tations, devotions, and prayers of Thomas Wil- 
son, who for fifty-eight years with singular piety 
and usefulness glorified the office of a bishop in 
the Anglican communion. Born in 1663, he 
lived to be ninety-two years of age; he was a 
voluminous writer, and a noble type of ministeri- 
al consecration. His best work, however, is that 

10 



Prefatory Essay 

to which we have called attention. As a handbook 
for the preacher in his dealings with his own 
heart, in his struggles after self-conquest, and in 
his aspirations after communion with the Master, 
it has never had an equal. 

Two books by the great English bishop 
Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) — Holy Living, and 
Holy Dying — have made his name known to 
the ends of the earth. He was a marvelous 
man — a prodigious scholar, a noble orator, a 
philosophic thinker, and a great theologian; his 
works, fully enumerated, would fill pages of this 
volume; but his noblest attainment was his saint- 
liness. He mastered the secret of living a life of 
unselfish service, heroic self-denial, and inces- 
sant devotion. A part of this secret — in so far 
as it can be communicated in language — he has 
written down in the two books above named. 
In our time no one can read them without dis- 
cerning their defects — the cloistered virtues 
which they emphasize, the mediaeval habits of 
penance and self-mortification which they inti- 
mate, and the severe and monastic type of piety 
which they exalt ; yet they have done wonderful 
things in the world in the two centuries and a 
half which have elapsed since they were pub- 
lished, prompting multitudes to "abhor fleshly 
lusts, which war against the soul,^' to consider 
the solemnity of life, the imminence and awful- 

II 



Prefatory Essay 

ness of death, and the greatness of God's mercy 
to our race. Those who want to know what 
prayer is, and wish to ponder wise counsels con- 
cerning patience, contentment, self-control, pu- 
rity of thought and motive, and other common- 
place graces, will find their search rewarded in 
Jeremy Taylor's masterpieces. 

Psalms and Litanies^ is the title of a note- 
worthy volume of counsels and collects for de- 
vout persons, in part written and in part com- 
piled by Rowland Williams, D.D. (1817-1870), 
who was for years the vicar of the village parish 
of Broadchalke, England. He had an unmis- 
takable genius for this sort of work; and he 
spent a good part of his leisure time in collecting 
from ancient sources the materials for his book, 
which was edited and published by his wife after 
his decease. Among his treasures are many 
specimens of the prayers and collects written or 
collected by the great English prelate, Bishop 
Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626), and the book 
as a whole is a model of sober, edifying, reverent, 
and scholarly devotion. 

A glance at our table of contents will show 
the extent to which we have drawn upon the 
Works of John Wesley, It will surprise many 
of his followers to find that he prepared a large 



* New York : E. P. Button & Co. 
12 



Prefatory Essay 

number of forms of worship — for families, for 
individuals, aad for children. Methodists who 
may fancy that there is danger attending the use 
of printed prayers may find instruction in the 
example of the great founder of Methodism, 
who did not hesitate to set before the people to 
whom he ministered a large variety of forms of 
supplication, written by himself, and displaying 
his usual acumen, scriptural insight, evangelical 
spirit, and literary ability, all mingled with the 
consecration of a saint. 

Other volumes which need no detailed descrip- 
tion here, but which deserve a place in any list 
of books of devotion which may be made, are as 
follows : 

A Book of Prayer from the Public Ministrations of Henry 
Ward Beecher, 1892. New York : Fords, Howard & Hul- 
bert. 

Euchologion : Forms of Prayer of the Church of Scotland. 
Edited by B. B. Comegys. 1898. Fleming H. Revell 
Company. 

Prayers: Ancient and Modern, By Mary Wilder Tileston. 
1897. New York : Doubleday & McClure Company. 

Morning and Evening Devotions for a Month, By Rev. 
F. B. Meyer. 1894. Fleming H. Revell Company. 

A few religious journals in this country and 
one in England have for some years followed 
the wholesome custom of furnishing to their 
readers, week by week, an original prayer. We 

13 



Prefatory Essay 

have ventured to cite in the following pages 
samples of these from The British Weekly, The 
Christian Register, and The Congregationalist. 

The verses which at frequent intervals accom- 
pany the prayers and collects of this volume are 
chiefly fugitive pieces, but each one will be found, 
we believe, worthy of a place here. Nearly 
every one of these poems is a versified prayer, 
and each seems to us to contain genuine de- 
votional fire, along with not a little poetical 
beauty. 

It may be fair to add in conclusion that some 
of the material herein amassed was used from 
time to time in the Quiet Hour department of The 
Central Christian Advocate, during my editorial 
administration of that paper, 1892-1900. A 
goodly number of prayers have been added to 
this material, and the whole is now sent forth 
with the hope and belief that the spirit of devo- 
tion embodied in these pages may prove to be a 
quickener and helper of all to whom the book 
may come. May those who read these prayers 
feel the life-giving touch of saintliness through- 
out the volume, and may each one of us be 
prompted to use the words of the disciples, 
spoken to their Master and ours — 

Lord, Teach Us How to Prx\y! 

Jesse Bowman Young. 

Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, O., December, 1900. 
H 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



I. One of St. Paul's Prayers. 

II. Begin with God — verses Horatius Bonar 

III. Submission Imitatio Christi 

IV. Thanksgiving Edward B, Ptisey 

V. For the Fullness of Love John Wesley 

VI. In Perfect Peace The British Weekly 

VII. On Sabbath Evening F. B. Meyer 

VIII* Lord, Teach Me Jeremy Taylor 

IX. At Eventide John Wesley 

X. The Lord's Appointment \ , , ,Abby C. Labaree 

— verses ) -^ 

XI. Under His Wings St, Augustine 

XII. A Penitent's Plea London Methodist Recorder 

XIII. The Opening Day John Wesley 

XIV. Lux in Tenebris — verses M. A. W. 

XV, A Collect The Christian Register 

XVI. An Evening Litany Rowland Williams 

XVII. In Time of Trouble Sacra Privata 

XVIII. Lord, Deliver Me John Wesley 

XIX. Light — verses Constance Mil??zan 

XX. Open Our Eyes J. B. Y. 

XXL Lord, I Was Blind ) ^.^^.^^^ Tidd Matson 

— verses ) 

XXII. In the Morning Sir Henry Lawrence 

XXI II. The Lord of Life Christina G. Rossetti 

XXIV. The Close of Day John Wesley 

XXV. For Presei*ving Grace Jeremy Taylor 

XXVI. As Thy Day — verses Mary H, Fitzn 

XXVII. Light, Life, Strength St. Augustine 

15 



Table of Contents 



XXVIII. A Morning Litany Rowland Williams 

XXIX. Help Us to Praise Thee. The Congregaiionaltsi 

XXX. Cover Me with Thy Shield Jeremy Taylor 

XXXI. The Day that Is before Us J, B. Y. 

XXXII. An Evening Litany Rowland Williams 

XXXIII. L<»;d.^Speak to Me J ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ 

XXXIV. Intercede for Us Johann Jakob Rambach 

XXXV. Fellowship The British Weekly 

XXXVI. For the Grace of Obedience Jeremy Taylor 

XXXVII. A Morning Prayer John Wesley 

XXXVIII. An Ancient Collect Author unknown 

XXXIX. For Deliverance Henry Ward Beecher 

XL. An Intercession Sacra Privata 

XLI. The Plodder's Petition— verses . ,, Helen Gilbert 

XLII. An Invocation to the Saviour. .Jeremy Taylor 

XLIII. God's Workmanship The British Weekly 

XLIV. Faith and Works- ) ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ .^ 

verses J -^ 

XLV. A Morning Prayer Rowland Williams 

XLVI. Ready for All Things Henry Martyn 

XLVII. In the Morning Edward B. Pusey 

XLVIII. In Time of Need Sir Philip Sidney 

XLIX. A Trustful Prayer Sacra Privata 

L. Day by Day Henry Alford 

LI. Just for To-day — verses Author unknown 

LII. For Sabbath Morning .John Wesley 

LIII. For Great Blessings Joseph Parker 

LIV. Out of the Depths Rowland Williams 

LV. An Intercession Henry Ward Beecher 

LVI. Thank God — verses C W, Bronson 

LVII. A Contrite Confession Jeremy Taylor 

LVIII. For Daily Needs , Thomas Arnold 

LIX. The Evening Sacrifice Sacra Privata 

LX. As Little Children The Congregationalist 

LXI. For the Morning. John Wesley 

l6 



Jable of Contents 



LXII. 

LXIII. 

LXIV. 

LXV. 

LXVI. 

LXVII. 

LXVIIL 

LXIX. 

LXX. 

LXXI. 

LXXII. 

LXXIIL 

LXXIV. 

LXXV. 

LXXVI. 

LXXVII. 

LXXVIII. 

LXXIX. 

LXXX. 

LXXXI. 

LXXXII. 

LXXXIII. 

LXXX IV. 

LXXXV. 

LXXXVI, 

LXXXVII. 

LXXXVIII. 

LXXXIX. 

XC. 

XCI. 

XCII. 

XCIII. 

XCIV. 



Abide With Me — verses. . . ,Emma G, Dietrich 

A Collect yeremy Taylor 

For Enlightenment Imitaiio Christi 

At Eventide F. B. Meyer 

Be Thou Our Guide Rowland Williams 

Up To the Hills— verses Mrs, M. A. Holt 

Our Life Is Thine The British Weekly 

The Good Shepherd George Dawson 

The Spiritual Life J r>' l j rr d 

^ y Ktcnara //. Barroivs 

— verses ) 

The Sacredness of Life yames Martineau 

A Thanksgiving yeremy Taylor 

A Cry for Rest Imitatio Christi 

On the Mount — verses. . .Frederick L, Hosmer 

Fullness in Christ yohn Wesley 

A Confession The British Weekly 

For the Sick and Dying Sacra Privata 

Deliverance from Despair Sacra Privata 

In Distress George Dawson 

Divine Companionship — ) . ., 7 

^ ^ > , .A Minor unknown 
verses ) 

The Early Year Author unknown 

Deliver Me, O God yohn Wesley 

Before a Journey Rowland Willia7ns 

At Evening Time — verses. ... - .... 6*. Rawson 

Nearer to Thee Edward B. Pusey 

Our All in All George Datvson 

Lord, Succor Us Henry Alford 

My World Within — verses., .yohn G. Whittier 

In Time of Storm George Dawson 

The Giver of All Good yohn Wesley 

For the Disconsolate . . . .Henry Ward Beecher 

For Discernment Imitatio Christi 

Longing and Listening ) ^Samuel W. Duffield 
— verses ) -" 

Guard and Give Rowland Williams 



17 



Table of Contents 



XCV. Beginning the Day y. B. V. 

XCVI. Lord, I Give Thanks — verses. . . Susie M, Best 

XCVII. An Evening Supplication Jeremy Taylor 

XCVIII. Speak to Me, Lord — wqx?>q?>. Henry W, Hawkes 

XCIX. Lead Us Not into Temptation... ^Vz^m? Privata 

C. Lift Up My Soul Edward B. Fusey 

CI. Inwardly Renewed — verses R. C, Trench 

CII. A Birthday Prayer Sacra Privata 

cm. For Constancy Jeremy Taylor 

CIV. His Way Is Best— verses. . The British Weekly 

CV. A Fruit-bearing Day. . . .The Congregationalist 

CVI. Before Studying the Word Sacra Privata 

CVII. Watch over Us for Good John Wesley 

CVIII. O Mother-Heart— verses G. Tersteegen 

CIX. The Night Also Is Thine John Wesley 

ex. Prayer of a Penitent Jeremy Taylor 

CXI. In the Sanctuary Rowland Williams 

CXII. Thy Will Is Best — verses. . . .Author tinknown 

CXIII. A Child's Prayer The Congregationalist 

CXIV. A Fresh Beginning Sacra Privata 

CXV. An Abundant Entrance. . . The British Weekly 

CXVI. Evening Invocation John Wesley 

CXVII. At Eventide Rowland Williams 

CXVIII. Glorify Thy Name Jeremy Taylor 

CXIX. Send Me— -verses Edward E. Hale 

CXX. At Thy Feet ..J. J. Rambach 

CXXI. With a Resigned Will Sacra Privata 

CXXII. Lord of the Living James Martineau 

CXXIII. A Litany Rowland Williams 

CXXIV. Teach and Quicken Us John Wesley 

CXXV. Faith— verses : . . .Anna C. Lynch Botta 

CXXVI. For Christian Rulers Jeremy Taylor 

CXX VI I. Renunciation Sacra Privata 

CXXVIII. A Meek and Quiet Spirit George Dawson 

CXXIX. A Child's Morning Prayer John Wesley 

l8 



Table of Contents 



CXXX. In the Evening The Congregationalisl 

CXXXI. Just for To -day — verses. . Myra Goodwin Plantz 

CXXXII. A Child's Evening Prayer John Wesley 

CXXXIII. By Day and by Night Rowland Williams 

CXXXIV. Lord, We Need Thee J, B. Y. 

CXXXV. God's Mercy The British Weekly 

CXXXVI. Over It All — verses. . . ,Anna Wilson Simmons 

CXXXVII. A Child's Devotions John Wesley 

CXXXVIII. A Morning Collect The Prayer Book 

CXXXIX. For Patience Sacra Privata 

CXL. A Child's Prayer John Wesley 

CXLL The Things to Come Sacra Privata 

CXLII. An Evening Prayer John Wesley 

CXLIII. Strength for the Day— verses . .i?^r/^^/ G, Alsop 

CXLIV. The Healer of Sorrow Joseph Parker 

CXLV. An Upward XaOO^, ,* .Christian World Pulpit 

CXLVL A Collect St. Chrysostom 

CXLVII. Keep Me, Lord Jeremy Taylor 

CXLVIII. The Larger Prayer — verses. > Edna Dean Cheney 

CXLIX. Lo. I Come John Wesley 

CL. Thou Fillest All Things. .. r>5^ British Weekly 

CLL Help Us to Believe Author unknown 

CLII. Let None of Us Be Lost J. J, Rambach 

CLIII. Sabbath Invocation Henry Ward Beec her 

CLIV. For the Spirit of Devotion. . . ,Imitatio Christi 

CLV. Life's Answer — verses Henry Alford 

CLVI. For Missions Lancelot Andrewes 

CLVII. For India Lancelot Andrewes 

CLVIII. Needed Blessings — ^verses. William H. Burleigh 

CLIX. Prayer of Motherhood. ..Kate Douglas Wiggin 

CLX. On New Year's Day JB. Y, 

CLXI. A ^^^^^ of I p..,,r Book 

CLXIL At the Age of \ c^ ^t, a^j- ai j 
Twenty-one. . . \ ^^'^^^ Addison Alexander 

CLXIII. For the Advent Season The Prayer Book 

19 



Table of Contents 



CLXIV. Reveal Thyself to Us- ) ^^ ^ ^^^„^^^ 

verses J 

CLXV. For Easter Sunday y, B. V. 

CLXVI. For Eastertide. Church of Scotland Prayer Book 

CLXVII. After Easter . . Church of Scotland Prayer Book 

CLXVIII. A Child's Morning Petition John Wesley 

CLXIX. The Spirit's Help Alexander McLaren 

CLXX. The Answer — v^x^^h^ Elizabeth Perry Howland 

CLXXL Before Taking the Lord's \ ^ r^ j 

Supper...^ \^^-7^remy Taylor 

CLXXII. The End of the Year Charles How 

CLXXIII. The Hour of Death Sacra Privata 

CLXXIV. My Times Are in Thy l^zxiA, Author unknown 

CLXXV. Send Forth Thy Light ) . .i- i: ^ r • .. 

, ^ ' \ Archbishop LetFhton 

and Thy Truth ) ^ ^ 

CLXXVI. A Pastor's Prayer Norman Macleod 

CLXXVII. Quicken Our Gratitude— ) ur n H II 

verses ) 

CLXXVIII. For Humility Joseph Addison Alexander 

CLXXIX. Welcome, Eternal Spring Adam Clarke 

CLXXX. Make Me a Helper George Matheson 

CLXXXL The Beatific Vision— verses. ,. 6^^^r^r/ Thring 

CLXXXII. For the Broken-Hearted. . The British Weekly 

CLXXXIII. The Rest that Remaineth.^^wry Ward Beecher 

CLXXXIV. Fret Not Thyself— verses Phillips Brooks 

CLXXXV. Amid Many Infirmities ,, .Jeremy Taylor 

CLXXXVI. Confession and Adora- ) Church of Scotland 

tion ) Prayer Book 

CLXXXVII. Be Present in My Studies. Z>r. Samuel Johnson 

CLXXXVIII. The Pathway— verses Clinton ScoUard 

CLXXXIX. More Likeness to Thee Henry Alford 

CXC. Gloria Patri. 

20 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 



One of St* PauPs Prayers 

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Fa- 
ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the 
whole family in heaven and earth is named, that 
he would grant you, according to the riches of his 
glory, to be strengthened with might by his 
Spirit in the inner man ; that Christ may dwell 
in your hearts by faith ; that ye, being rooted and 
grounded in love, may be able to comprehend 
with all saints what is the breadth, and length, 
and depth, and height; and to know the love of 
Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might 
be filled with all the fullness of God. — Eph. iii, 
14-19. 

II 

Begfin with God 

Begin the day with God! He is thy sun and day; 
He is the radiance of thy dawn, to him address thy lay. 
Sing a new song at morn, join the glad woods and 

hills; 
Join the fresh winds, and seas, and plains; join the 

bright flowers and rills. 
Awake, cold lips, and sing! Arise, dull knees, and 

pray ! 
Lift up, O man, thy heart and eyes, brush slothfulness 

away. 

21 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Look up beyond these clouds; thither thy pathway lies. 
Mount up, away, and linger not; thy goal is yonder 
skies. 

Cast every weight aside! Do battle with each sin; 
Fight with the faithless world without, the faithless 

heart within. 
Take thy first meal with God ; he is thy heavenly 

food; 
Feed with and on him; he with thee will feast in 

brotherhood. 
Take thy first walk with God ! Let him go forth with 

thee; 
By stream, or sea, or mountain path, seek still his 

company. 
Thy first transaction be with God himself above; 
So shall thy business prosper well, and all the day be 

love. —Horatius Bonar, 



III 

Submission 

LoRD^ I will willingly bear for thee whatso- 
ever thou wilt have to come upon me. Without 
choice I will receive from thy hand good and evil, 
sweet and bitter, joy and sadness, and will give 
thee thanks for all things which shall happen 
unto me. Keep me from all sin, and I will not 
fear death nor hell. Only cast me not away for- 
ever, nor blot me out of the book of life. Then 
no tribulation which shall come upon me shall 
do me hurt. Amen. — Imitatio ChrisfL 

22 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

IV 

Thanksgiving 

May my whole being, O God, be one thanks- 
giving unto thee ; may all within me praise thee 
and love thee — for all which thou hast forgiven, 
and for all which thou hast given ; for thine un- 
known hidden blessings, and for those which, in 
my negligence or thoughtlessness, I passed over ; 
for any and every gift of nature or of grace; 
for my power of loving ; for all blessings within 
and without ; and for all which thou hast yet in 
store for me; for everything whereby thou hast 
drawn me to thyself, whether joy or sorrow; for 
all whereby thou wiliest to make me thine own 
forever. Amen. — Rev, Dr, Edward B, Pusey. 



For the Fullness of Love 

I KNOW^ O Lord, that thou hast commanded 
me, and therefore it is my duty to love thee with 
all my heart, and with all my strength. I know 
thou art infinitely holy and overflowing in all 
perfection ; and therefore it is my duty so to love 
thee. 

I know thou hast created me, and that I have 
neither being nor blessing but what is the effect 
of thy power and goodness. I know thou art the 

23 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

end for which I was created, and that I can ex- 
pect no happiness but in thee. I know that in 
love to me, being lost in sin, thou didst send 
thy only Son, and that he, being the Lord of 
glory, did humble himself to the death upon the 
cross, that I might be raised to glory. 

I know thou hast provided me with all neces- 
sary helps for carrying me through this life to 
that eternal glory, and this out of the excess of 
thy pure mercy to me, unworthy of all mercies. 
I know thou hast promised to be thyself my 
"exceeding great reward;" though it is thou 
alone who thyself "workest in me, both to will 
and to do of thy good pleasure." 

Upon these, and many other titles, I confess it 
is my duty to love thee, my God, with all my 
heart. Give thy strength unto thy servant, that 
thy love may fill my heart, and be the motive 
of all the use I make of my understanding, my 
affections, my senses, my health, my time, and 
whatever other talents I have received from thee. 
Let this, O God, rule my heart without a rival; 
let it dispose all my thoughts, words, and works ; 
and thus only can I fulfill my duty and thy com- 
mand, of loving thee "with all my heart, and 
mind, and soul, and strength." 

O thou infinite Goodness, confirm thy past 
mercies to me, by enabling me, for what remains 
of my life, to be more faithful than I have hither- 

24 



Helps FOR the Quiet Hour 

to been to this thy great command. For the time 
I have yet to sojourn upon earth, O let me fulfill 
this great duty. Permit me not to be in any 
delusion here ; let me not trust in words, or sighs, 
or tears, but love thee even as thou hast com- 
manded. Let me feel, and then I shall know, 
what it is to love thee with all my heart. Amen. 
— John Wesley. 

VI 

In Perfect Peace 

O GoD^ help us to listen for thy voice amid the 
din of earthly things. Help us in our busiest 
hours to see thy hand in everything that shall 
befall us or be done around us. Help us to read 
great lessons in even the commonest things. 
Nothing is too insignificant for thy use in teach- 
ing and perfecting us. May our hearts and 
tempers bear the test of little things ; let no eager- 
ness of business beguile us into forgetfulness of 
thee ; let no fret, or worry, or provocation irritate 
or make us impatient. May our souls be kept 
in perfect peace, stayed upon thee. May we 
offer to thee as service and sacrifice everything 
we do, even the least and most commonplace. 
Amen. — The British Weekly. 

25 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

VII 

On Sabbath Evening 

O wonderful and adorable Saviour! Thy 
heart is a fountain from which heaHng streams 
never cease to flow! Thy voice has not lost its 
ancient power! Thy hand still thrills with the 
might of omnipotence! And thou art not 
wearied with all that thou hast done amid the 
great, sorrowful family of man. Myriads have 
pressed and crowded thee, thousands have 
touched thee ; many have drawn heavily upon thy 
patience, pity, and help. But thou art unworn, 
unspent. As on the morning of thy resurrection, 
so now, as the night settles down, thou art going 
forward to new ministries of love. The angels 
bless thee; thy saints adore thee; the hearts 
whom thou hast redeemed love thee! Glory be 
to thee, O Lamb of God, Son of God, Light of 
light. Very God of very God! Amen. — From 
F. B. Meyer's Morning and Evening Devotions. 



VIII 

Lotd, Teach Me 

Fix my thoughts, my hopes, and my desires 
upon heaven and heavenly things; teach me to 
despise the world, to repent me deeply for my 
sins; give me holy purposes of amendment, and 

26 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

spiritual strength and assistance to perform 
faithfully whatsoever I shall intend piously. En- 
rich my understanding with an eternal treasure 
of divine truths, that I may know thy will ; and 
thou, who workest in us to will and to do of thy 
good pleasure, teach me to obey all thy com- 
mandments, to believe all thy revelations, and 
make me partaker of all thy gracious promises. 
Teach me to watch over all my ways, that I may 
never be surprised by sudden temptations or a 
careless spirit, nor ever return to folly and vanity. 
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and 
keep the door of my lips, that I offend not in my 
tongue, neither against piety nor charity. Teach 
me to do nothing but what becomes thy servant, 
whom thy infinite mercy, by the graces of the 
Holy Spirit, hath sealed unto the day of redemp- 
tion. Amen. — Jeremy Taylor. 



IX 

At Eventide 

Almighty and everlasting God, the sovereign 
Lord of all creatures in heaven and earth, we 
acknowledge that our beings, and all the comforts 
of them, depend on thee, the Fountain of all 
good. We have nothing but what is owing en- 
tirely to thy free and bounteous love, O most 

27 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

blessed Creator, and to the riches of thy grace, 
O most blessed Redeemer. 

To thee, therefore, be given, by us and by all 
creatures whom thou hast made to know how 
great and good thou art, all honor and praise, 
all love and obedience, as long as we have any 
being. "It is but meet, right, and our bounden 
duty, that we should, at all times and in all places, 
give thanks unto thee, O Lord,'' and devoutly 
resign both soul and body to thee, to be absolutely 
governed and ruled according to thy holy will. 

Father, we pray thee, increase every good 
desire which we feel already in our hearts; let 
us always live as becomes thy creatures, as be- 
comes the disciples of Jesus Christ. Incline us 
to be more and more in love with thy laws, till 
they are written upon our hearts. Stir up our 
wills to love them exceedingly, and to cleave unto 
them as our very life. Amen. — John Wesley. 



X 
The Lord^s Appointment 

I SAY it over and over, and yet again to-day- 
It rests my heart as surely as it did yesterday: 
It is the Lord's appointment; 
Whatever my work may be, 
I am sure in my heart of hearts 
He has ordered it for me. 
28 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

I must say it over and over, and again to-day — 
For my work is different from that of yesterday: 
It is the Lord's appointment; 

It quiets my restless will 
Like the voice of tender mother, 
And my heart and will are still. 

I will say it over and over, this, and every day: 
Whatsoever the Master orders, come what may, 
It is the Lord's appointment; 

For only his love can see 
What is wisest, best, and right, 
What is truly good for me. 

— Abby C, Labaree. 



XI 

Under His Wingfs 

O Lord our God, under the shadow of thy 
v^ings let us hope. Thou wilt support us, both 
when little, and even to gray hairs. When our 
strength is of thee, it is strength; but when our 
own, it is feebleness. We return unto thee, O 
Lord, that from their weariness our souls may 
rise toward thee, leaning on the things which 
thou hast created, and passing on to thyself, who. 
hast wonderfully made them; for with thee is 
refreshment and true strength. Amen. — St. 
Augustine (A. D. 354-430). 

29 



Helps FOR THE Quiet Hour 

XII 

A Penitenf s Plea 

Lord Jesus, here I am, a poor captive exile, 
a lost creature, an enemy to God, under his wrath 
and curse. Wilt thou. Lord, undertake for me, 
reconcile me to God, and save my soul ? Art not 
thou he, and he alone, whom God the Father hath 
sealed, the Saviour of sinners? The Lord God 
hath sent me to thee, hath bid me come ; he hath 
commanded me to believe, and cast myself upon 
thee. Lord Jesus, wilt thou refuse to help a dis- 
tressed creature, whom the Father hath sent to 
thee for help? If I had come in my own name, 
thou mightest well have put me back; but since 
I come at the command of the Father, reject me 
not. Lord, help me ! Lord, save me ! Art thou 
not he concerning whom the Father hath prom- 
ised, "He that believeth on him shall not be con- 
founded?'' I come. Lord; I believe, Lord; I 
throw myself upon thy grace and mercy. I have 
not whither else to go. Here I will stay, I will 
not stir from thy door ; on thee will I trust, and 
rest, and venture myself. God hath laid my help 
on thee, and on thee I lay my hope for pardon, 
for life, for salvation. If I perish, I perish on 
thy shoulder ; if I sink, I sink in thy vessel ; if I 
die, I die at thy door. Amen. — London Metho- 
disf Recorder. 

30 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XIII 
The Openingf Day 

Almighty and everlasting God, I bless thee 
from my heart, that of thy infinite goodness thou 
hast preserved me this night past, and hast, with 
the impregnable defense of thy providence, pro- 
tected me from the power and malice of the devil. 
Withdraw not, I humbly entreat thee, thy protec- 
tion from me, but mercifully this day watch over 
me with the eyes of thy mercy. Direct my soul 
and body according to the rule of thy will, and 
fill my heart with thy Holy Spirit, that I may 
pass this day, and all the rest of my days, to thy 
glory. 

O Saviour of the world, God of gods, Light of 
light, thou that art the brightness of thy Father's 
glory, the express image of his person ; thou that 
hast destroyed the power of the devil, that hast 
overcome death, that sittest at the right hand of 
the Father, thou wilt speedily come down in thy 
Father's glory to judge all men according to 
their works ; be thou my light and my peace ; 
destroy the power of the devil in me, and make 
me a new creature. O thou who didst cast seven 
devils out of Mary Magdalene, cast out of my 
heart all corrupt aflfections. O thou who didst 
raise Lazarus from the dead, raise me from the 
death of sin. Thou who didst cleanse the lepers, 
heal the sick, and give sight to the blind, heal the 

31 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

diseases of my soul ; open my eyes, and fix them 
singly on the prize of my high calling, and 
cleanse my heart from every desire but that of 
advancing thy glory. Amen. — John Wesley. 

XIV 
Lux in Tcnebfis 

Though thy way be dark and dreary, 

God is near; 
Near to bless, and guide, and keep thee, 

Do not fear. 
'Tis a sweet thought, comfort-giving, 

What betide, 
He is present, ever-living 

At thy side. 

What though cloud and storm overtake thee 

In the night? 
He'll not leave thee nor forsake thee, 

He is Light! 
Like a child, thyself confiding 

In his care. 
Follow him, in him abiding 

All is cheer. 

Give thyself entirely to him. 

Do his will; 
And thy life the highest mission 
Will fulfill. 
Then pursue thy journey onward 
At his call. 
'Tis the path that leads thee homeward 
After all ! 
--M. A, W., in Christian Intelligencer, 
32 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XV 

A Collect 

O God, the Father everlasting, whom patri- 
archs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, with all the 
spirits of the just made perfect, continually do 
serve and glorify: fix the eye of our faith, we 
beseech thee, with clear and full vision, on the 
great cloud of witnesses wherewith we are thus 
compassed about, that, laying aside every v/eight, 
and the sin that doth so easily beset us, we may 
run with patience the race that is set before us, 
and receive from thee the crown of life. Amen. 
— Christian Register. 

XVI 

An Eveningf Litany 

O Keeper of all good spirits, who neithei 
slumberest nor sleepest, lighten our eyes with th); 
light, that we sleep not in death. Keep us frora 
all terror by night, and from the pestilence that 
walketh in darkness, as from the destruction at 
noonday. Give us rest, as from toil, so from 
every evil thought; and visit us with visions of 
wisdom, or with quiet of refreshment. From all 
illusion of fond fancy or terror, from evil re- 
membrance and evil designing, keep us, good 
Lord. Thou in whose book all our members are 

33 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

written, grant us wholesome rest, free from ter- 
ror and burden, with holy trust and peace. Thou 
art our Maker and our Judge, but also our Fa- 
ther, Saviour, and Friend ; deny not the comfort 
of thy Holy Spirit to thy children. Shelter our 
slumber with the wing of thy pity ; let our awak- 
ening be in good time, a time of blessing and of 
prayer. Early in the morning will we seek thee, 
with thanksgiving and zeal for thy service. Into 
thy hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves, our 
spirits, souls, and bodies, to our Maker, Pre- 
server, Life-giver. Bless with us every friend, 
benefactor, and connection, whom thou hast 
granted to us in goodness, and bound us to with 
duty. Guard our lying down and our rising up, 
henceforth. Lord, and forever. Amen. — From 
Psalms and Litanies, by Rowland Williams, 
D.D. 

XVII 

In Time of Trouble 

O merciful God, who, in thy wise providence, 
dost so order even natural events that they serve 
both for the good of the universe and for the 
conviction of particular sinners, so that men shall 
have reason to acknowledge thy glorious attri- 
butes ; I do with great sorrow of heart, but with 
all submission to thy good pleasure, confess thy 

34 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

mercy as well as justice to me in the judgments, 
afflictions, sorrows of this day. I acknowledge 
thy voice, O merciful God ; I acknowledge my 
own transgressions, which have provoked thee to 
speak to me after this manner, and at this very 
time. O Lord, give me true repentance for all 
the errors of my life, and particularly for that 
which was, in all probability, the occasion of this 
affliction. Blessed be God, that my punishment 
was not as great as my sin. Blessed be God, 
that he has given me time to repent of the sin that 
provoked him to deal with me after this manner. 
Blessed be God, that when he spake to me once, 
yea, twice, that I regarded it at last. 

Good God of mercy, give me grace that I may 
not provoke thee any more to repeat this word 
to me, but that I ma}^ faithfully perform these 
vows which are upon me. This I cannot do 
without thy gracious assistance, which I most 
humbly beseech thee to vouchsafe me, for Jesus 
Christ's sake, who by his merits has purchased 
this grace for all that faithfully ask it of thee; 
for his sake, O merciful God, grant me this grace. 
I do, in all humility, accept of the punishment 
of mine iniquities. I will hold my peace, and not 
open my mouth, because it is thy doing and my 
deservings. I know, O Lord, that it is good for 
me to be in trouble, or thou wouldest not suffer 
it so to be. Let thy merciful kindness be my 

35 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

comfort, according to thy promise to all that love 
and serve thee. Amen. — From Wilson's Sacra 
Privata. 

XVIII 
Lotd, Deliver Me 

MY Father, my God, I am in thy hand ; and 
may I rejoice above all things in being so. Do 
with me what seemeth good in thy sight; only 
let me love thee with all my mind, soul, and 
strength. 

1 magnify thee for granting me to be born in 
thy Church, and of religious parents ; for wash- 
ing me in thy baptism, and instructing me in 
thy doctrine of truth and holiness; for sustain- 
ing me by thy gracious providence, and guiding 
me by thy blessed Spirit ; for admitting me, with 
the rest of my Christian brethren, to wait on 
thee at thy public worship ; and for so often feed- 
ing my soul with thy most precious body and 
blood, those pledges of love, and sure convey- 
ances of strength and comfort. O be gracious 
unto all of us, whom thou hast this day (or at 
any time) admitted to thy holy table. Strengthen 
our hearts in thy ways against all our tempta- 
tions, and make us more than conquerors in 
thy love. 

O my Father, my God, deliver me, I beseech 
thee, from all violent passions; I know how 

2>6 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

greatly obstructive these are both of the knowl- 
edge and love of thee. O let none of them find 
a way into my heart, but let me ever possess my 
soul in meekness. O my God, I desire to fear 
them more than death; let me not serve these 
cruel tyrants, but do thou reign in my breast ; 
let me ever be thy servant, and love thee with all 
my heart. Amen. — John Wesley. 

XIX 
Light 

LoRD^ send thy light. 
Not only in the darkest night, 
But in the shadowy, dim twilight. 
Wherein my strained and aching sight, 
Can scarce distinguish wrong from right — 
Then send thy light. 

Teach me to pray. 
Not only in the morning gray, 
Or when the moonbeam's silver ray 
Falls on me — but at high noonday 
When pleasure beckons me away. 
Teach me to pray. 

— Constance Milman, in the Spectator. 

XX 

Open Our Eyes 

O Lord our God, thou dwellest in light unap- 
proachable; in thee there is no darkness at all. 

Z7 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Thou coverest thyself with Hght as with a gar- 
ment; thou art the Light of the world. Have 
mercy on us, O Lord, for we are blind, and 
we walk in darkness, groping amid sins, and 
doubts, and fears. Even the fancy that we see 
may be a delusion and a snare. The glitter of 
this world, the selfishness of our lives, the errors 
of our evil imaginations, the wiles of the devil — 
by these, again and again, we have been led 
astray. Our Father, open our eyes to see our 
real estate of helplessness, of misery, of guilt, 
of danger, of doom. Suffer us not to push on 
gropingly and recklessly into perdition, but grant 
us that blessing which thy Son, our Lord, so 
often bestowed upon needy and appealing men 
and women when he was here on earth — the res- 
toration of sight. O Lord, open our eyes that 
we may see wondrous things out of thy law ; that 
we may discern thy presence in our daily life, 
thy hand in the providential government of the 
world, thy help awaiting us in trying times of 
trouble, thy hand stretched out in the darkness to 
guide us to our home ! O Lord, open our eyes, 
and all things shall be transfigured into celestial 
beauty — even the clouds and the nighttime shall 
be radiant with thy presence! We would see 
Jesus, discerning in him the Light of the world, 
seeing his grace, his tenderness, his sympathy, 
his power to save, even unto the uttermost. For 

3S 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

his sake, O Lord, open our eyes, and grant unto 
us the power of vision. Amen. — J. B. Y. 



XXI 

Lord, I Was Blind 

LoRD^ I was blind : I could not see 

In thy marred visage any grace; 

But now the beauty of thy face 
In radiant vision dawns on me. 

Lord, I was deaf: I could not hear 

The thrilling music of thy voice; 

But now I hear thee and rejoice, 
And all thy uttered words are dear. 

Lord, I was dumb : I could not speak 
The grace and glory of thy name; 
But now, as touched with living flame, 

My lips thine eager praises wake. 

Lord, I was dead : I could not stir 

My lifeless soul to come to thee; 

But now, since thou hast quickened me, 
I rise from sin's dark sepulcher. 

Lord, thou hast made the bhnd to see, 
The deaf to hear, the dumb to speak. 
The dead to live; and lo, I break 

The chains of my captivity. 

— William Tidd Mats on. 
39 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XXII 

In the Momingf 

O Lord, give me grace and strength to do thy 
will, to begin the day and end it with prayer and 
searching of my own heart, with reading of thy 
word. Make me to understand it, to understand 
thee, to bring home to my heart the reality of 
thy perfect Godhead and perfect humanity, and 
above all of my entire need of a Saviour, of my 
utter inability to do aught that is right in my 
own strength. Make me humble, reasonable, 
contented, thankful, just, and considerate. Re- 
strain my tongue and my thoughts ; may I act as 
ever in thy sight, as if I may die this day. May 
I not fear man or men's opinion, but remember 
that thou knowest my motives and my thoughts, 
and that thou wilt be my judge. It is not in me 
to be regular ; let me be so as much as I can — so 
living in humility, contentment, thankfulness. 
Amen. — Sir Henry Lawrence. 



XXIII 

The Lord of Life 

O LoRD^ with whom is the fountain of life, 
give us all, we entreat thee, grace and good will 
to follow the leadings of thy most Holy Spirit. 
Let the dew of thy grace descend and abide upon 

40 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

us, refreshing that which droops, reviving that 
which is ready to perish ; until the day when all 
thy faithful people shall drink of the river of thy 
pleasures. Amen. — Christina G. Rossetti. 



XXIV 
The Close of Day 

O Lord our God, thou art infinitely good, and 
thou hast showed us what is good. Thou send- 
est out thy light and thy truth, that they may 
guide us, and makest plain thy way before our 
face. Thou givest us many opportunities and 
advantages, to quicken and farther us in thy 
service. We have ''line upon line'' and ''pre- 
cept upon precept ;" thy messengers early and 
late to open and apply thy word, to call and warn, 
to direct and exhort us, with all long-sufifering. 
But how little have we improved all the precious 
talents which thou hast put into our hands ! 

O Lord, thou mightest justly take away the 
Gospel of thy kingdom from us, and give it unto 
another people, w^ho would bring forth the fruits 
thereof. Because thou hast called, and we re- 
fused; thou hast stretched forth thy hands, and 
we have not regarded ; thou mightest leave us to 
our own perverseness and impenitence, till our 
iniquities became our ruin. 

But, O Lord God, enter not thus into judg- 
41 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

ment with thy servants. Pardon all our con- 
tempt of thy word, and our not profiting there- 
by. And help us for the time to come better to 
improve the blessed opportunities set before us. 
As the rain descends from heaven and returns 
not thither, but waters the earth and maketh it 
fruitful; so let not thy word return unto thee 
void, but prosper in the work whereunto thou 
sendest it. O make it effectual to build us all 
up, in the true fear and love of God, and in the 
right knowledge and faith of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Amen. — John Wesley, 

XXV 
For Preserving* Grace 

Keep me, O Lord, from the destroying angel 
and from the wrath of God ; let thy anger never 
rise against me, but thy rod gently correct my 
follies, and guide me in thy ways, and thy staff 
support me in all sufferings and changes. Pre- 
serve me from fracture of bones, from noi- 
some, infectious, and sharp sickness, from great 
violences of fortune and sudden surprises ; keep 
all my senses entire till the day of my death, and 
let my death be neither sudden, untimely, nor 
unprovided; let it be after the common manner 
of men, having in it nothing extraordinary but an 
extraordinary piety, and the manifestation of thy 
great and miraculous mercy. 

42 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Let no riches make me ever forget myself, no 
poverty ever make me to forget thee ; let no hope 
or fear, no pleasure or pain, no accident without, 
no weakness within, hinder or discompose my 
duty, or turn me from the ways of thy command- 
ments. O let thy Spirit dwell with me forever, 
and make my soul just and charitable, full of 
honesty, full of religion, resolute and constant in 
holy purposes, but inflexible to evil. Make me 
humble and obedient, peaceable and pious; let 
me never envy any man's good, nor deserve to 
be despised myself ; and if I be, teach me to bear 
it with meekness and charity. Amen. — Jeremy 
Taylor. 

XXVI 
As Thy Day 

As this my day ! O promise blest ! 
Sweet words of comfort, words of rest ! 
No more with boding fear I wait 
To read to-morrow's hidden fate. 
Whate'er its toil, whate'er its tears, 
Whate'er its perils, pains, and fears, 
While sun and stars and worlds endure 
The old, sweet promise standeth sure. 

The hand that holds the world upbears 
My weary heart, with all its cares. 
The eye that slumbers not has seen 
IMy graveyard mounds, with grasses green. 
43 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

My Father's pitying love has read 
The pain behind the tears I shed. 
How comforting his words to me — 
"Child, as thy day thy strength shall be." 

As this my day! my little day! 
My broken, troubled, thwarted day; 
The day whose roseate morning bloom 
Was quenched and darkened into gloom. 
The morn of gifts ! The noon of loss ! 
The lengthened shadow of the cross ! 
Once more, my Father, say to me, 
"Child, as thy day thy strength shall be." 

— Mrs. Mary IL Finn, in The Watchman. 



XXVII 

Light, Life, Strengfth 

O GoD^ the Light of every heart that sees thee, 
the Life of every soul that loves thee, the 
Strength of every mind that seeks thee, grant me 
ever to continue steadfast in thy holy love. Be 
thou the joy of my heart, take it all to thyself, 
and therein abide. The house of my soul is, I 
confess, too narrow for thee ; do thou enlarge it, 
that thou mayest enter it ; it is ruinous, but do 
thou repair it. It has that within which must 
offend thine eyes ; I confess and know it ; but 
whose help shall I implore in cleansing it but 
thine alone? To thee, therefore, I cry urgently, 
begging that thou wilt cleanse me from my 

44 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

secret faults and keep thy servant from presump- 
tuous sins, that they never get dominion over me. 
Amen. — St. Augustine (A. D. 354-430). 

XXVIII 
A Momingf Litany 

Glory to thee, O Lord, who givest sleep to re- 
cruit our weakness, and to refresh this feeble 
frame. So now grant to this day and all days 
a holy, peaceful, and healthy course, for thy 
name's sake, O Lord. Let thy mysterious provi- 
dence be a faithful guidance, sending angels of 
peace as guardians of soul and body, to encamp 
around us, and ever prompt what is wholesome, 
for thy m.ercy's sake, O Lord. Grant us free 
pardon and remission of all sins and offenses, 
since thou art merciful, O Lord. Though we 
know not what is best, give to us, O Lord, that 
thou seest fit ; only fit us for what thou givest, 
and let it bring to our souls health and peace, 
with some good to our neighbor and the world, 
for thy loving goodness' sake, O Lord. Amen. 
— From Psalms and Litanies, by Rozvland Wil- 
liams, D.D. 

XXIX 
Help Us to Praise Thee 

O GoD^ help us ever to praise thee with the 
praise that none else can offer ; the praise that 

45 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

angels cannot give; the praise of man saved, 
man redeemed, man brought home to God; the 
cry of the sheep come back to the fold ; the song 
of the prodigal son returning to the father's love 
and the mother's kiss. So, great Lover of man, 
may we, sin-stained, travel-worn, and wretched, 
yet bring to thee a praise to which our sadness 
shall lend sweetness. And if there be times when 
our voice is too broken by grief to lift itself to 
thee, still let us sing unto thee the song that 
hath no words, the inward song that needeth not 
to be expressed; that so of all thy children not 
one may miss thy praise. Bring us all at last, 
O Father, into the life where we shall sing thy 
praise more fully, into the land where our 
trembling voice shall shake no more. Give us 
now some words of the eternal song, and take us 
to thyself that we may be thine for evermore. 
Amen. — The Congregationalist. 

XXX 

Cover Me with Thy Shield 

O ETERNAL Purity! Thou art brighter than 
the sun, purer than the angels, and the heavens 
are not clean in thy sight ; with mercy behold thy 
servant, apt to be tempted with every object, and 
to be overcome by every enemy. I cannot, O 
God, stand in the day of battle and danger, un- 

46 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

less thou coverest me with thy shield, and hidest 
me under thy wings. Thou didst make me after 
thine image; be pleased to preserve me so pure 
and spotless, that my body may be a holy temple, 
and my soul a sanctuary to entertain thy divinest 
Spirit, the Spirit of love and holiness. Amen. 
— Jeremy Taylor. 

XXXI 

The Day That Is Before Us 

O LoRD^ our Father, we come to thee, refreshed 
by sleep and preserved by thy care during the 
night. Teach us and help us by thy grace to ap- 
preciate thy bounty, to depend on thee for guid- 
ance and strength, to heed thy voice, and to obey 
thy commandments. Through the day that is 
before us guard us from evil, preserve our im- 
aginations from the taint of sin ; may our inmost 
thoughts be pure. Amid danger, temptation, 
labor, or sorrow, have us in thy keeping, and 
may we be conscious of safety under the shadow 
of thy wing. Let the light shine from thy word 
into our hearts, and may the light of thy counte- 
nance illuminate our pathway. Save us from 
heedlessness, from ingratitude, from perverse- 
ness, and from despair. May we ever walk in 
that path which shines more and more unto the 
perfect day. Whatever experiences await us 

47 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

this day, amid them all be thou our help aiiH 
shield, our stay and comfort. Crown all temporal 
blessings with thy favor, and fill our hearts with 
thy peace. And evermore may we ascribe, from 
our deepest heart, thanksgiving and praise to the 
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. — 
/. B. F. 

XXXII 

An Eveningf Litany 

O LoRD^ as we add day to day, let us not add - 
sin to sin. Behold, I turn with sighing from 
every evil way, and search out my heart, and 
with all my heart turn to thee, God of penitents 
and Saviour of sinners. Evening by evening I 
will breathe out my heart in returning, and out 
of the deep my soul in silence cries unto thee. 
In whatsoever I have sinned, let me repent truly ; 
Lord, help thou my unrepenting. Let thy mercy 
be greater than all my offenses, and beyond thy 
knowledge of my guilt let thy love abound. Heal, 
O Life-giver, every wound of the past, blot out 
every stain, take away the shame, .and rescue 
from the dominion. Cleanse thou thy servant 
from secret faults, and keep' me back from every 
presumptuous transgression. My wandering of 
thought, and foolish speech, my idle glance, and 
acting idly, lay not, O Lord, to my charge. When 

48 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

we go astray from thee, we destroy ourselves; 
bring us back to thy. refuge, and heal us. Amen. 
— From Psalms and Litanies, by Rowland Wil- 
liams ^ D.D. 

XXXIII 
Lotd, Speak to Me 

" Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." — i Sam. ill, 9. 

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak 

In living echoes of thy tone; 
As thou hast sought, so let me seek 

Thy erring children, lost and lone. 

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead 
The wandering and the wavering feet; 

O feed me, Lord, that I may feed 

Thy hungering ones with manna sweet. 

strengthen me, that while I stand 
Firm on the rock, and strong in thee, 

1 may stretch out a loving hand 

To w^restlers with the troubled sea. 

O teach me. Lord, that I may teach 
The precious things thou dost impart; 

And wing my words, that they may reach 
The hidden depths of many a heart. 

O use me. Lord, use even me 

Just as thou wilt, and when, and where, 
Until thy blessed face I see, 

Thy rest, thy joy, thy glory share. 

— Frances Ridley Haver gal. 
49 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XXXIV 

Intercede for Us 

O MOST faithful Saviour! unfeigned thanks- 
giving and endless praise be ascribed to thee, 
that by thy prayer, as High Priest, thou hast 
sanctified prayer, and hast imparted to it an ef- 
ficacy whereby we shall be able to overcome the 
assaults of our spiritual enemy. Grant that thy 
Holy Spirit may powerfully incite us to prayer 
when the evil hour approaches, that we may not 
be indolent in arming ourselves with this power- 
ful weapon, when the enemy is preparing to 
make an efifort on our souls. And do thou, 
blessed Jesus, come to our assistance with thy 
prevailing intercession, that our weak, imperfect 
prayer may be sanctified and rendered accept- 
able to thy Father, for the sake of thy love. 
Amen. — From Meditations, by /. /. Ramhach, 
D.D. (1693-1735.) 

XXXV 

Fellowship 

O Lord God, our heavenly Father, thou dost 
invite us sinful men to come to thee that we 
may be cleansed from our sin, and made holy 
like thyself. Thou wouldst make us partakers 
of thy divine nature, and thus deliver us from our 
sins and sorrows. May we thus be children of 

50 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

God by faith in Christ Jesus. Thou wouldst 
gather us to thyself that we may no longer feel 
the helplessness and sorrow of alienation. Thou 
wouldst gladden us with the light and warmth 
of thy love, and with the constant strength and 
blessing which thy love will minister. O help 
us to come to thee as children come to a father, 
as those who are needy come to the source of 
abundant blessing. Amen. — British Weekly, 

XXXVI 

For the Grace of Obedience 

O ETERNAL God, great ruler of men and angels, 
who hast constituted all things in a wonderful 
order, making all the creatures subject to man, 
and one man to another, and all to thee, the last 
link of this admirable chain being fastened to 
the foot of thy throne ; teach me to obey all those 
whom thou hast set over me, reverencing their 
persons, submitting indifferently to all their law- 
ful commands, cheerfully undergoing those bur- 
dens which the public wisdom and necessity shall 
impose upon me ; at no hand murmuring against 
government, lest the spirit of pride and mutiny, 
of murmur and disorder enter into me, and con- 
sign me to the portion of the disobedient and 
rebellious, of the despisers of dominion, and 
revilers of dignity. Grant this, O holy God, for 

51 



H^LPS FOR THE QuiET HoUR 

his sake who, for his obedience to the Father, 
hath obtained the glorification of eternal ages, 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. — 
From Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living, 

XXXVII 
A Morningf Prayer 

O Lord, the God of our salvation, ^^thou art 
the hope of all the ends of the earth." Upon thee 
the eyes of all do wait; for thou givest unto all 
life and breath and all things. Thou still watch- 
est over us for good; thou daily renewest to us 
our lives and thy mercies; and thou hast given 
us the assurance of thy word, that if we commit 
our affairs to thee, if we acknowledge thee in all 
our ways, thou wilt direct our paths. We desire, 
O Lord, to be still under thy gracious conduct 
and fatherly protection. We beg the guidance 
and help of thy good Spirit, to choose our in- 
heritance for us, and to dispose of us, and all that 
concerns us, to the glory of thy name. 

O Lord, withdraw not thy tender mercies from 
us, nor the comforts of thy presence. Never 
punish our past sins, by giving us over to the 
power of our sins ; but pardon all our sins, and 
save us from all our iniquities. And grant us, 
O good God, the continual sense of thy graciou3 
acceptance of us, in the Son of thy love, that our 

52 



Helps for the QuIet Hour 

souls may bless thee, and ''all that is within us 
may praise thy holy name." Amen. — John 
Wesley. 

XXXVIII 
An Ancient Collect 

Almighty Lord our God, direct our steps 
into the way of peace, and strengthen our hearts 
to obey thy commands ; may the Dayspring visit 
us from on high, and give light to those who sit 
in darkness and the shadow of death; that they 
may adore thee for thy mercy, follow thee for 
thy truth, desire thee for thy sweetness, who art 
the blessed Lord God of Israel. Amen. 

XXXIX 
For Deliverance 

Lord, we pray for the forgiveness of our sins. 
We pray for strength to resist temptation and 
sorrow. We pray for thy sympathy and com- 
passion upon all our infirmities. We pray for 
thy heart's healing of our griefs. Deliver us 
from the thrall of selfishness. Deliver us from 
undue pride. Deliver us from all things that are 
not leavened with a true kindness. We pray that 
thou wilt lift us into such a relation to thee, and 
interpret to us such an understanding of divine 
life, that we shall ourselves be conscious of our 
dignity and of our privileges; that we may not 

53 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

walk as other men, bent and bowed down by 
every storm that sweeps by, but stand steadfast, 
immovable, always abounding in the work of the 
Lord. Amen. — From A Book of Prayer^ by H. 
W. Beecher. 

XL 

An Intercession 

O Lord, I pray thee to bless all persons and 
places to which thy providence has made me a 
debtor; all who have been instrumental to my 
good, by their assistance, advice, example, or 
writings ; and make me in my turn useful to 
others. 

Let none of those who cannot pray for them- 
selves, and desire my prayers, want thy mercy; 
but defend, and comfort, and conduct them 
through this dangerous world, that we may meet 
in paradise, to praise our God forever and ever. 

Enlighten the minds, and pardon the sin, of all 
that err through simplicity. Let the wickedness 
of the wicked come to an end, but guide thou the 
just. Relieve and comfort all that are troubled 
in mind or conscience ; all that are in danger of 
falling into despair ; all that are in any dangerous 
error ; all that are in prison, in slavery, or under 
persecution for a righteous cause ; all that are in 
any distress whatever, that all may improve 



under their sufferings. 



54 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Have mercy upon and reclaim all that are en- 
gaged in sinful courses, in youthful lusts, in 
unchristian quarrels, and in unrighteous lawsuits. 
Direct all that are in doubt, all that seek the 
truth. O God^ the Creator and Redeemer of all, 
have mercy upon all whom thou hast made and 
redeemed. Amen. — From Bishop Wilson's Sacra 
Privata. 

XLI 
The Plodder's Petition 

LoRD^ let me not be too content 
With life in trifling service spent — 

Make me aspire ! 
When days with petty cares are filled, 
Let me with fleeting thoughts be thrilled 

Of something higher! 

Help me to long for mental grace 
To struggle with the commonplace 

I daily find. 
May little deeds not bring to fruit 
A crop of little thought to suit 

A shriveled mind. 

I do not ask for place among 

Great thinkers who have taught and sung, 

And scorned to bend 
Under the trifles of the hour — 
I only would not lose the power 
To comprehend. 
— Helen Gilbert, in The Independent. 
55 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XLII 

An Invocation to the Saviour 

O BLESSED Jesus, tliou hast used many arts to 
save me, thou hast given thy Hfe to redeem me, 
thy Holy Spirit to sanctify me, thyself for my 
example, thy word for my rule, thy grace for 
my guide, the fruit of thy body hanging on the 
tree of the cross for the sin of my soul ; and after 
all this thou hast sent thy apostles and ministers 
of salvation to call me, to importune me, to con- 
strain me, to holiness, and peace, and felicity. O 
now come, Lord Jesus, come quickly ; my heart is 
desirous of thy presence, and thirsty of thy grace, 
and would fain entertain thee, not as a guest, but 
as an inhabitant, as the Lord of all my faculties. 
Enter in and take possession, and dwell with me 
forever ; that I also may dwell in the heart of my 
dearest Lord, which was opened for me with a 
spear and love. Amen. — Jeremy Taylor, 

XLIII 
God's Workmanship 

Almighty God, we are thy workmanship; we 
are thy husbandry. We are not the accidents of 
the time or the occasion ; we express the foreor- 
dination and the sovereignty of God. We will 
look upon ourselves highly; we will rejoice in 
our princedom. We are not of the earth, earthy, 

56 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

when we are accepted in the Beloved ; we are then 
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. So we 
will not look downward and see the grave; we 
will look upward and see the immortality. We 
will think of the radiant heaven, pure angels, 
sanctified spirits, the one throne, the infinite 
light, the ineffable purity; and so filling our 
minds with things divine, we shall triumph over 
present pain and necessity and trouble, and 
death itself. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of 
the Father, that takest away the sins of the 
world, have mercy upon us. Amen. — The Brit- 
ish Weekly. 

XLIV 
Faith and Works 

There be some who pray in the shades of life; 

There be those who toil in the sun ; 
And both are watching the reddening west 

Till the long, long day is done — 
For prayer and labor are all of life, 

And labor and prayer are one. 

— Grace DitMeld Goodwin. 



XLV 

A Morning Prayer 

Blessed be God, through whom I laid me 
down and slept, and rose up again, because he 

57 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

sustained me. Give me, O heavenly Father, a 
spirit of modest and cheerful thankfulness ; with 
love to all my kindred, neighbors, and fellow- 
creatures, who are brother-pensioners with me 
upon thy bounty, and members of one body, thy 
household of souls. Continue to me, and all 
whom I ought to pray for, thy compassions every 
morning, so long as may be thy holy will, and 
for the good of our weakness ; and whenever thou 
sendest bereavement among us, strengthen us to 
intrust our beloved into thy hands. Amen. — 
From Psalms and Litanies, by Rowland Wil- 
liams, D.D. 

XLVI 

Ready for All Thingfs 

O send thy light and thy truth, that I may 
always live near to thee, my God. O let me feel 
thy love, that I may be, as it were, already in 
heaven, that I may do all my work as the angels 
do theirs ; and O let me be ready for every work ! 
be ready to go out or go in, to stay or depart, 
just as thou shalt appoint. Lord, let me have no 
will of my own; or consider my true happiness 
as depending, in the smallest degree, on anything 
that can befall me outwardly, but as consisting 
altogether in conformity to thy will. Amen. — 
Henry Marty n (1781-1812). 

58 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XLVII 
In the Morningf 

I desire, O God, this day most earnestly to 
please thee ; to do thy will in each several thing 
which thou shalt give me to do; to bear each 
thing which thou shalt allow to befall me con- 
trary to my will, meekly, humbly, patiently, as a 
gift from thee to subdue self-will in me; and to 
make thy will wholly mine. What I do, make me 
do, simply as thy child; let me be, throughout 
the day, as a child in his loving father's presence, 
ever looking up to thee. May I love thee for all 
thy love. May I thank thee, if not in words, yet 
in my heart, for each gift of thy love, for each 
comfort which thou allowest me day by day. 
Amen. — Dr, E, B. Pusey. 



XLVIII 
In Time of Need 

All-seeing Light and eternal Life of all 
things, look upon my misery with thine eye of 
mercy, and let thine infinite power vouchsafe to 
limit out some portion of deliverance unto me, 
as unto thee shall seem most convenient. But 
yet, O my God, I yield unto thy will, and joyfully 
embrace what sorrow thou wilt have me sufifer. 
Only thus much let me crave of thee (let my 

59 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

craving, O Lord, be accepted of thee, since even 
that proceeds from thee) — let me crave, even by 
the noblest title which in my greatest affliction I 
may give myself, that I am thy creature, and by 
thy goodness that thou wilt suffer some beam of 
thy Majesty so to shine into my mind that it 
may still depend confidently on thee. Amen. — 
Sir Philip Sidney, 

XLIX 

A Trustful Prayer 

With all my heart and soul, O God, I thank 
thee, that in all the changes and chances of this 
mortal life I can look up to thee, and cheerfully 
resign my will to thine. It is the desire of my 
soul, and my humble petition, that I may always 
be ready and willing to submit to thy providence, 
that thou mayest order what thou judgest to be 
most convenient for me. I have trusted thee, O 
Father, with myself; my soul is in thy hand, 
which I verily believe thou wilt preserve to 
eternal happiness ; my body, and all that belongs 
to it, are of much less value. I do, therefore, 
with as great security and satisfaction, trust all 
I have to thee, hoping thou wilt preserve me 
from all things hurtful, and lead me to all things 
profitable to my salvation. Amen. — From Bishop 
Wilson's Sacra Privata. 

60 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 



Day by Day 

O GoD^ who hast commanded us to be perfect, 
as thou our Father in heaven art perfect, put 
into our hearts, we pray thee, a continual desire 
to obey thy holy will. Teach us day by day what 
thou wouldest have us do, and give us grace and 
power to fulfill the same. May we never from 
love of ease decline the path which thou pointest 
out, nor for fear of shame turn away from it. 
Amen. — Dean Henry Alford, 

LI 
Just for To-day 

Lord, for to-morrow and its needs 

I do not pray ; 
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin, 

Just for to-day. 
Let me both diligently work 

And duly pray; 
Let me be kind in word and deed, 

Just for to-day. 
Let me be slow to do my will. 

Prompt to obey; 
Help me to overcome my flesh, 

Just for to-day. 
Let me no wrong or idle word 

Unthinking say; 
Set thou a seal upon my lips. 

Just for to-day. 
6i 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Let me in season, Lord, be grave, 

In season gay; 
Let me be faithful to thy grace, 

Just for to-day. 
So for to-morrow and its needs 

I do not pray; 
But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord, 

Just for to-day. 

— Author unknown, 

LII 

For Sabbath Momingf 

Let the prayers and sacrifices of thy holy 
Church, offered unto thee this day, be graciously 
accepted. ''Clothe thy priests with righteousness, 
and pardon all thy people who are not prepared 
according to the preparation of the sanctuary." 
Prosper all those who are sincerely engaged in 
propagating or promoting thy faith and love: 
Give thy Son the heathen for his inheritance, 
and the utmost parts of the earth for his posses- 
sion; that from the rising up of the sun unto 
the going down of the same thy name may be 
great among the Gentiles. Enable us of this 
nation, and especially those whom thou hast set 
over us in Church and State, in our several sta- 
tions, to serve thee in all holiness, and to ''know 
the love of Christ which passeth knowledge/' 
Continue to us the means of grace, and grant we 
may never provoke thee, by our nonimprovement, 

62^ 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

to deprive us of them. Pour down thy blessing 
upon our universities, that they may ever promote 
true rehgion and sound learning. Show mercy, 
O Lord, to my father and mother, my brothers 
and sisters, to all my friends, relations, and 
enemies, and to all that are in affliction. Let thy 
fatherly hand be over them, and thy Holy Spirit 
ever with them; that, submitting themselves en- 
tirely to thy will, and directing all their thoughts, 
words, and works to thy glory, they, and those 
that are already dead in the Lord, may at length 
enjoy thee, in the glories of thy kingdom, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth 
with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed 
forever. Amen. — John Wesley. 



LIII 

For Great Blessing's 

Almighty God, thou hast done great things 
for us, whereof we are glad. We would enthrone 
thee upon the circle of the earth, and set thee 
above the floods. We would see thee in the 
peaceful morning, in the fiery noontide, and 
amid the stars of night. We would see thy go- 
ing in all the way of our lives, and humbly de- 
sire to follow thee whithersoever thou goest. We 
would not be content with any ordinary manifes- 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

tation ot thy care; to-day we would ask for an 
overflowing cup, for a multiplication and redun- 
dancy of blessing — for shower upon shower of 
blessings. We make humble confession of our 
sin. We have left undone those things Vv^hich 
we ought to have done ; and we have done those 
things which we ought not to have done. Thy 
cross, O Christ, is the open way to forgiveness 
and peace. May we this day seize all the bless- 
ings of the cross, and make ourselves rich with 
them through God the Holy Ghost. Amen. — 
Joseph Parker, D.D, 



LIV 
Out of the Depths 

O PITIFUL and long-suffering Lord, against 
whom we have so sinned, we conceal nothing, 
and excuse nothing, but seek thy forgiveness. 
When we perverted that which was right, it ad- 
vantaged us not; and we are without defense 
when we destroy ourselves. Unto thee, O God, 
belongs righteousness, when thou judgest; but 
to us confusion of face, when we make answer. 
And now. Lord, what is our hope, if any hope re- 
main to us? Our hope is in thy goodness, that 
thou wilt blot out our iniquities. 

Thou knowest whereof we are made ; thou re- 
64 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

memberest that we are but dust. We are the off- 
spring of thy will, on whom thou hast stamped 
the forecast of thy Hkeness. We are sheep of thy 
pasture, whom thou hast led along, and taught to 
trust in thee. Destroy not, O Lord, the work of 
thine own hands; let not haters of good rejoice 
in our falling. 

Look upon the face of thy children, and, in the 
abundance of thy compassion, find a propitiation 
for the sins of the w^orld. For thine own holy 
name's sake, beside which none other under 
heaven is given, w^hereby we may be saved. 
Father, be merciful. By the tender mercies of 
him who is from everlasting, and by the strong 
crying of mankind out of perplexity, by the un- 
utterable plaints of thy own mind within us, 
striving with us, pleading for us, make thyself 
known to us as our Saviour. Amen. — From 
Psalms and Litanies, by Rowland Williams, D,D. 

LV 

An Intercession 

At thy feet, O Lord, the rich and the poor 
meet together, and thou art Maker of us all, the 
poor in spirit who are rich in this world's goods, 
and the happy ones whose life consisteth not in 
the abundance of the things they possess. Great 
as are the outward differences between us, thou 

65 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

seest even greater — yet are "we all the work of 
thy hand;'' "we the clay and thou our potter.'' 
Mold us into vessels fit for thy use. Cleanse us 
from the mire of selfishness and let us be bearers 
of living water to thirsty souls. Nor do we pray 
only for ourselves and our little intersecting, 
overlapping circles of interest and influence, but 
we pray for the whole world of mankind troubled 
here with wars and raidings, there with famine 
and pestilence, and everywhere blotted and 
blurred by sin. Wherever an innocent heart suf- 
fers for another's guilt, wherever secret sorrow 
gnaws like a canker, wherever remorse for past 
sins consumes, or pride hardens into impeni- 
tence, there, O omnipresent Father, send com- 
fort, send pity, send love, send light, send 
strength ! And yet the things we would ask for 
earth's neediest child do not differ widely from 
the things we ask for ourselves. We are all alike 
naked except thou clothe us, hungry except thou 
feed us, in darkness unless thou enlighten us, in 
storm unless thou sayest, "Peace, be still." Feed 
us then with the bread of heaven whether we be 
in prosperous or famine-stricken lands ; clothe us 
with robes of righteousness here in America or 
under tropic suns; lift upon us, thy children, 
everywhere, the light of thy countenance; teach 
us how to walk in that light, and grant to us 
every one to be found of thee in peace at last. 

66 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

We ask it in the name of One dear to thee, 
whom even the winds and the sea obeyed. Amen. 
— Henry Ward Beecher. 

LVI 
Thanfc God 

Thank God for joy! 

For glad, sweet thoughts that flood the soul and spring 

Lark-like into the sky to soar and sing; 

For kindly airs that woo to bud and flower, 

Thy dormant being, and awake new power 

With each new morn; new purposes that bring 

To heart and soul their full and just employ. 

Thank God for joy! • 

And O, thank him for pain! 
That shuts thee in in silence! Wait and know 
The rain that breaks the blossom, and lays low 
The fair green stalk, doth nourish e'en in grief 
The being's root, of future bud and leaf 
The guaranty; so shalt thou surely grow 
To fairer heights; to nobler powers attain. 
Thank God for pain! 

— C. W. Bronson, in New York Observer, 

LVII 
A Q)nttite Q)nfcssion 

O Lord, I have abused thy mercy, despised 
thy judgments, turned thy grace into wanton- 
ness. I have been unthankful for thy infinite 
loving-kindness. I have sinned and repented, 

67 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

and then sinned again, and resolved against it, 
and presently broke it ; and then I tied myself up 
with vows, and then was tempted, and then I 
yielded by little and little, till I was willingly lost 
again, and my vows fell off like cords of vanity. 
My secret sins, O Lord, are innumerable: sins I 
noted not, sins that I willingly neglected, sins 
that I acted upon willful ignorance and voluntary 
mispersuasion, sins that I have forgot, and sins 
which a diligent and a watchful spirit might have 
prevented, but I would not. Lord, I am con- 
founded with the multitude of them, and the 
horror of their remembrance. O give me a deep 
contrition for my sins, a hearty detestation and 
loathing of them, hating them worse than death 
with torments. Give me grace entirely, presently, 
and forever to forsake them; to walk with care 
and prudence, with fear and watchfulness, all my 
days ; to do all my duty with diligence and 
charity, with zeal and a never- fainting spirit; to 
redeem the time, to trust upon thy mercies, to 
make use of all the instruments of grace, to work 
out my salvation with fear and trembling; that 
thou mayest have the glory of pardoning all my 
sins, and I may reap the fruit of all thy mercies 
and all thy graces, of thy patience and long 
suffering, even to live a holy life here, and to 
reign with thee forever, through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. — Jeremy Taylor. 

68 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

LVIII 

For Daily Needs 

O GRACIOUS Father, keep me through thy Holy 
Spirit; keep my heart soft and tender now in 
health and amidst the bustle of the world ; keep 
the thought of thyself present to me as my Fa- 
ther in Jesus Christ; and keep alive in me a 
spirit of love and meekness to all men, that I may 
be at once gentle and active and firm. O strength- 
en me to bear pain, or sickness, or danger, or 
whatever thou shalt be pleased to lay upon me, 
as Christ's soldier and servant; and let my faith 
overcome the world daily. Perfect and bless the 
work of thy Spirit in the hearts of all thy people, 
and may thy kingdom come, and thy will be done 
in earth as in heaven. I pray for this, and for all 
that thou seest me to need, for Jesus Christ's 
sake. Amen. — Thomas Arnold (1795-1842). 



LIX 

The Eveningf SacHfice 

O LoRD^ let my prayer be set forth in thy sight 
as the incense ; and let the lifting up of my hands 
be as an evening sacrifice. That it hath pleased 
God to add another day to the years of my life ; 
that none of his judgments, to which for my sins 
I am justly liable, have fallen upon me; that by 

69 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

his grace he hath kept me from all scandalous 
sins and from the dangers of an evil world ; that 
he has given me occasions of doing good, and 
grace to make use of them ; that he hath supplied 
me with the necessaries of this life, and with 
the means of attaining a better — accept, O God, 
of my unfeigned thanks for these, and for all thy 
mercies from day to day bestowed upon me. Add 
this to all thy favors, I beseech thee, that I may 
never forget to be thankful. Amen. — From 
Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata. 

LX 

As Little Children 

Our Father in heaven, give us the hearts of 
little children. When trouble comes may we be 
able to meet it in the spirit of Jesus. May we 
know that all things are in the hands of the 
Lord. May we rest in the Lord and wait for him. 
We would pray for others as well as for our- 
selves ; for masters and servants, for teachers 
and scholars, for rich and poor, for those who 
sit in heathen darkness, and for those who are 
enriched with Christian privileges. Thou wilt 
not put away from thy blessing any who humbly 
desire to know the sweetness and the power of 
thy love. We leave ourselves in the hands of 
God, trusting to the blessed Saviour alone for 

70 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

pardon, for daily grace, and for heaven when our 
work on earth is done. Amen. — The Congrega- 
tionalist. 

LXI 

For the Momingf 

O Lord, thou hast mercifully kept us the last 
night; blessed be thy continued goodness. Re- 
ceive us likewise into thy protection this day. 
Guide and assist us in all our thoughts, words, 
and actions. Make us willing to do and suffer 
what thou pleasest ; waiting for the mercy of our 
Lord, Christ Jesus, unto eternal life. 

Blessed be thy goodness, which hath not suf- 
fered us to wander without instruction after the 
foolish desires of our own hearts ; but hath clearly 
shown us where our happiness lies. O may we 
receive, wath all thankfulness, those holy words 
which teach us the blessedness of poverty of 
spirit, of mourning after thee, of meekness and 
gentleness, of hungering and thirsting after 
righteousness, of mercifulness and purity of 
heart, of doing good unto all, and patiently suffer- 
ing for doing the will of our Lord Christ. 

O may we always be in the number of those 
blessed souls. May we ever feel ourselves happy 
in having the kingdom of God within us, in the 
comforts of the Holy One, in being filled with 
all the fruits of righteousness, in being made the 

71 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

children of the Highest, and, above all, in seeing 
thee, our God. Let us abound in thy love more 
and more; and in continual prayers and praises 
to thee, the Father of mercies and God of all 
consolation, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — 
John Wesley. 

LXII 
Abide with Mc 

Abide with me, I need Thee every day 
To lead me on through all the weary way. 
When storms surround, and only clouds I see, 
Lord, be my comfort and abide with me! 

Be with me, Lord, where'er my path may lead, 
Fulfill thy word, supply my every need; 
Help me to live each day more close to thee, 
And O, dear Lord, I pray, abide with me ! 

Abide with me, my Lord, and when at last 
This earth and all its weary cares are past, 
ril pray no more that thou abide with me, 
For then, at last, I shall abide with thee ! 

— Emma G, Dietrich, in Christian Work, 

LXIII 

A Collect 

O THOU gracious Father of mercy. Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon thy 
servants who bow our heads, and our knees, and 

72 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

our hearts to thee; pardon and forgive us al! 
our sins ; give us the grace of holy repentance, 
and a strict obedience to thy holy word ; strength- 
en us in the inner man with the power of the 
Holy Ghost for all the parts and duties of our 
calling and holy living; preserve us forever in 
the unity of the Church, and in the integrity of 
the Christian faith, and in the love of God and 
of our neighbors, and in hope of life eternal. 
Amen. — Jeremy Taylor. 

LXIV 

For Enlightenment 

Enlighten me, blessed Jesus, with the bright- 
ness of thy inner light, and cast forth all dark- 
ness from the habitation of my heart. Restrain 
my many wandering thoughts, and carry away 
the temptations which strive to do me hurt. 
Fight thou mightily for me, and drive forth the 
evil beasts, so call I alluring lusts, that peace 
may be within thy walls and plenteousness of 
praise within thy palace, even in my pure con- 
science. Command thou the winds and the 
storms ; say unto the sea, ''Be still f say unto 
the stormy wind, ''Hold thy peace ;" so shall there 
be a great calm. O send forth thy light and thy 
truth, that they may shine upon the earth ; for I 
am but earth; for I am but earth without form 

7^ 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

and void until thou give me light. Pour forth 
thy grace from above; water my heart with the 
dew of heaven; give the waters of devotion to 
water the face of the earth, and cause it to bring 
forth good and perfect fruit. Lift up my mind, 
which is oppressed with the weight of sins, and 
raise my whole desire to heavenly things; that 
having tasted the sweetness of the happiness 
which is from above, it may take no pleasure in 
thinking of things of earth. 

Draw me and deliver me from every unstable 
comfort of creatures, for no created thing is able 
to satisfy my desire and to give me comfort. Join 
me to thyself by the inseparable bond of love, for 
thou alone art sufficient to him that loveth thee, 
and without thee all things are vain toys. — From 
Kempis's Imitatio Christi. 

LXV 

At Eventide 

Our Lord, our God, thou art very wonderful 
in the works of nature, very good in providence, 
just and true in thy government of men, strong 
on the behalf of them that walk uprightly, but 
to us thy loveliest attributes are thy long-suffer- 
ing patience, thine abundant pardon, in the cross 
and mediation of our High Priest. There we 
rest. Encircle us with thy care. Be a wall of 

74 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

fire around our home. Surround us with the 
hosts of guardian angels. May we sleep peace- 
fully and safely the sleep of little children. Bless, 
and defend, and save all whom we love, and may 
we all be partakers of thy heavenly benediction ; 
and bring us at last by thy grace to thy glory. 
We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. — From Morning and Evening Devotions, 
by F, B, Meyer. 

LXVI 
Be Thou Our Guide 

Mercifully regard, O Lord, the prayers of 
thy family; and while they submit themselves 
to thee with their whole heart, do thou prosper 
them with support, and encompass them with 
blessings, that, relying on thee as their guide, 
they may be entangled in no evils, but filled with 
all good. 

We beseech thee, O Lord, in thy loving-kind- 
ness, set in order our life and conversation, that 
no adversities may prevail against us, and no 
kind of health be wanting to us. 

Make us, we beseech thee, O Lord, obedient 
to thy commandments ; so that all things may go 
prosperously with us in following the author of 
our life and only guardian of our souls. 

Grant to thy servants, O Lord, the pardon of 
75 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

their sins, comfort in life, and perpetual guid- 
ance; whereby they may faithfully serve thee, 
and be always enabled to attain thy mercy, for 
thy holy name's sake. Amen. — From Psalms 
and Litanies, by Rowland Williams, D.D. 



LXVII 
^'Up to the Hills ^ 

I OFTEN turn my eyes up to the hills, 
That sometimes seem so many leagues away, 

And then a longing wish my spirit fills, 
That I may reach them some fair, happy day. 

And then again so near to me they seem 
That I can almost hear the music grand 

Come floating sweetly o'er the narrow stream 
That flows between me and that peaceful land. 

And often when my eyes are dim with tears, 
And I am weary in life's lonely way, 

I look beyond to those calm, blessed years 
That crown the fair old mountains all the day. 

And ever when my soul is filled with pain. 
And I am crushed to earth with nameless grief, 

I look up to the hills, and hope again 
Brings to my wounded soul a sweet relief. 

O blessed hills ! beyond the creeping years 

That come to me like milestones one by one, 
When God shall wipe away my bitter tears, 
Your sun-crowned heights shall be forever won. 
— Mrs. M. A. Holt, in Zion's Herald. 
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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

LXVIII 

Our Life Is Thine 

O Lord, thou knowest our life with all its mys- 
tery and tragedy, all its pain and joy. It is thy 
life; it belongs to thee. It is not cut off from 
thy sovereignty, and especially it is not cut off 
from the grace of Christ, which is the center of 
thy glory and thy majesty. May we realize the 
power of the cross, believe in the Priest Victim of 
the cross, and see the meaning of his blood. De- 
liver us from the power of folly. Make us large- 
hearted, noble-minded, childlike, mighty in all 
power, but mightiest in tenderness, in sympathy, 
in the spirit of humanity, so that we can go far 
down and tell those who are in the valley how 
high heaven is and what is the way to its glory. 
Amen. — British Weekly. 

LXIX 
The Good Shepherd 

O Shepherd of the sheep, who didst promise 
to carry the lambs in thine arms, and to lead us 
by the still waters, help us to know the peace 
which passeth understanding. Give us to drink 
that heavenly draught which is life, the calm 
patience which is content to bear what God 
giveth. Have mercy upon us, and hear our 
prayers. Lead us gently when we pass through 

77 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

the valley of the shadow of death. Guide us, 
till at last, in the assembly of thy saints, we may 
find rest for evermore. Amen. — George Dazv- 
son, 

LXX 
The Spiritual Life 

Sing, O my soul ! The radiant day- 
Sweeps the shades of night away. 
When, dear Lord, I think on thee 
All my doubting shadows flee. 

Sing, O my soul, exalt the theme ! 
Thou, O Lord, art love supreme. 
With me, Lord, forever be; 
All I need I find in thee. 

— Richard H, Barrows, 

LXXI 
The Sacredness of Life 

Eternal God, who committest to us the swift 
and solemn trust of life, since we know not what 
a day may bring forth, but only that the hour for 
serving thee is always present, may we wake to 
the instant claims of thy holy will ; not waiting 
for to-morrow, but yielding to-day. Lay to rest, 
by the persuasion of thy Spirit, the resistance of 
our passion, indolence, or fear. Consecrate with 
thy presence the way our feet may go ; and the 
humblest work will shine, and the roughest 
places be made plain. Lift us above unright- 

78 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

eous anger and mistrust into faith and hope and 
charity by a simple and steadfast rehance on thy 
sure will. In all things draw us to the mind of 
Christ, that thy lost image may be traced again, 
and thou mayest own us as at one with him and 
thee. Amen. — James Martineau. 

LXXII 

A Thanksgiving' 

O MOST merciful and gracious God, thou foun- 
tain of all mercy and blessing, thou hast opened 
the hand of thy mercy to fill me with blessings, 
and the sweet effects of thy loving-kindness; 
thou feedest us like a shepherd, thou governest 
us as a king, thou bearest us in thy arms like a 
nurse, thou dost cover us under the shadow of 
thy wings, and shelter us like a hen; thou, O 
dearest Lord, wakest for us as a watchman, thou 
providest for us like a husband, thou lovest us as 
a friend, and thinkest on us perpetually, as a 
careful mother on her helpless babe, and art ex- 
ceeding merciful to all that fear thee. Unto thee, 
O Lord, I ascribe the praise and honor of my 
redemption. I will be glad and rejoice in thy 
mercy, for thou hast considered my trouble, and 
hast known my soul in adversity. As thou hast 
spread thy hand upon me for a covering, so also 
enlarge my heart with thankfulness, and fill my 

79 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

mouth with praises, that my duty and returns to 
thee may be great as my needs of mercy are ; and 
let thy gracious favors and loving-kindness en- 
dure forever and ever upon thy servant; and 
grant that what thou hast sown in mercy may 
spring up in duty ; and let thy grace so strengthen 
my purposes that I may sin no more, lest thy 
threatening return upon me in anger, and thy 
anger break me into pieces; but let me walk in 
the light of thy favor, and in the paths of thy 
commandments; that I, living here to the glory 
of thy name, may at last enter into the glory of 
my Lord, to spend a whole eternity in giving 
praise to thy exalted and ever-glorious name. 
Amen. — From Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living. 

LXXIII 
A Cry for Rest 

Above all things and in all things thou shalt 
rest alway in the Lord, O my soul, for he him- 
self is the eternal rest of the saints. Grant me, 
most sweet and loving Jesus, to rest in thee above 
every creature, above all health and beauty, above 
all glory and honor, above all power and dignity, 
above all knowledge and skillfulness, above all 
riches and arts, above all joy and exultation, 
above all fame and praise, above all hope and 
promise, above all merit and desire, above all 
gifts and reward which thou canst give and pour 

80 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

forth, above all joy and jubilation which the mind 
is able to receive and feel ; in a word, above angels 
and archangels and all the army of heaven, above 
all things visible and above everything which 
thou, O my God, art not. 

For thou, O Lord my God, art best above all 
things; thou art the Most High; thou only the 
Almighty; thou only the All-Sufficient, and the 
fullness of all things ; thou only the All-Delight- 
some and the All-Comforting ; thou alone the al- 
together lovely and altogether loving ; thou alone 
the Most Exalted and Most Glorious above all 
things ; in whom all things are, and were, and 
ever shall be, altogether and all perfect. And 
thus it falleth short and is insufficient whatsoever 
thou givest to me without thyself, or whatsoever 
thou revealest or dost promise concerning thy- 
self, whilst thou art not seen or fully possessed ; 
since verily my heart cannot truly rest nor be 
entirely content, except it rest in thee, and go 
beyond all gifts and every creature. — From 
Kempis's Imitatio Christi 

LXXIV 
On the Mount 

Not always on the mount may we 
Rapt in the heavenly vision be; 
The shores of thought and feeling know 
The Spirit's tidal ebb and flow. 
8i 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

''Lord, it is good abiding here" — 
We cry, the heavenly Presence near; 
The vision vanishes, our eyes 
Are lifted into vacant skies ! 

Yet hath one such exalted hour 
Upon the soul redeeming power. 
And in its strength through after days 
We travel our appointed ways; 

Till all the lowly vale grows bright, 
Transfigured in remembered light. 
And in untiring souls we bear 
The freshness of the upper air. 

The mount for vision — but below 
The paths of daily duty go, 
And nobler life therein shall own 
The pattern on the mountain shown. 

— Frederick Lucian Hosmer, 

LXXV 
Fullness in Chrfst 

O Lord, seeing there is in Christ Jesus an in- 
finite fullness of all that we can want or wish, 
O that we may all receive of his fullness, grace 
upon grace ; grace to pardon our sins and subdue 
our iniquities ; to justify our persons and to sanc- 
tify our souls ; and to complete that holy change, 
that renewal of our hearts, whereby we may be 
transformed into that blessed image wherein thou 
didst create us. O make us all meet to be pan 
takers to the inheritance of thy saints in light. 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

And teach us, O God, to use this world without 
abusing it ; and to receive the things needful for 
the body, without losing our part in thy love, 
which is better than life itself. Whatever we 
have of this world, O may we have the same 
with thy leave and love; sanctified to us by the 
word of God and by prayer; and by the right 
improvement thereof to thy glory. And what- 
ever we want of worldly things, leave us not 
destitute of the ''things that accompany salva- 
tion;'' but adorn our souls with all such graces 
of thy Holy Spirit, that we may adorn the doc- 
trine of God our Saviour in all things. 

And now that thou hast renewed our lives and 
thy mercies to us this morning, help us to renew 
our desires and resolutions and endeavors to live 
in obedience to thy holy will. O restrain us from 
the sins into which we are most prone to fall, 
and quicken us to the duties we are most averse 
to perform; and grant that we may think and 
speak, and will and do, the things becoming the 
children of our heavenly Father ; and so find the 
strong consolation of thy gracious acceptance in 
Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. — John Wesley, 

LXXVI 
A Confession 

Enter not into judgment with thy servants, 
O Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh living be 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

justified. We desire to make confession of our 
sin, to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of 
the same. Forgive us our selfishness, our vanity, 
our pride, our confidence and self-assertion. 
Blot out our sins from the book of thy remem- 
brance and grant us the peace which passeth un- 
derstanding. Grant us thy grace, that we may 
be able so to apply our lives, so to feel the power 
of our Master's love, so to be quickened with 
zeal and devotion in his service that we may be 
able, each in his own sphere and according to 
the power which thou hast granted to us, to 
present unto the world the image of Christ, to 
suggest God to men, and to lead others to him. 
Grant us day by day an ever-deepening and 
fuller knowledge of thy truth which saves. 
Amen. — British Weekly. 

LXXVII 

For the Sick and Dying: 

O Lord of life and death, have mercy upon all 
those who are visited with sickness; sanctify 
this thy fatherly correction, that they may search 
their ways, and see whence this visitation cometh. 
Have mercy upon all that are appointed to die, 
and grant that they omit nothing that is neces- 
sary to make their peace with thee, and that they 
may be delivered from death eternal. And God 

84 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

grant that we may apply our hearts to that holy 
and heavenly wisdom, while we live here, which 
may in the end bring us to life everlasting, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — From 
Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata, 



LXXVIII 

Deliverance from Despair 

Grant, O God, that, amidst all the discourage- 
ments, difficulties, dangers, distress, and dark- 
ness of this mortal life, I may depend upon thy 
mercy, and on this build my hopes, as on a sure 
foundation. Let thine infinite mercy in Christ 
Jesus deliver me from despair, both now and 
at the hour of death. Amen. — From Bishop 
Wilson's Sacra Privata, 



LXXIX 

In Distress 

Grant unto us. Almighty God, in all time of 
sore distress, the comfort of the forgiveness of 
our sins. In time of darkness give us blessed 
hope, in time of sickness of body give us quiet 
courage; and when the heart is bowed down, 
and the soul is very heavy, and life is a burden, 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

and pleasure a weariness, and the sun is too 
bright, and life too mirthful, then may that Spirit, 
the Spirit of the Comforter, come upon us, and 
after darkness may there be the clear shining of 
the heavenly light; that so, being uplifted again 
by thy mercy, we may pass on through this our 
mortal life with quiet courage, patient hope, and 
unshaken trust, hoping through thy loving-kind- 
ness and tender mercy to be delivered from death 
into the large life of the eternal years. Hear us 
of thy mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. — George Dawson. 



LXXX 
Divine Companionship 

If I could only surely know 

That all these things that tire me so 

Were noticed by my Lord, 
The pang that cuts me like a knife, 
The lesser pains of daily life, 
The noise, the weariness, the strife; 

What peace it would afford ! 

I wonder if he really shares 
In all my little human cares — 

This mighty King of kings? 
If he who. guides through endless space 
Each blazing planet in its place 
Can have the condescending grace 

To mind these petty things? 
86 



Helps for the Ouiet Hour 

It seems to me if sure of this, 

Blerxt with each ill would come such bliss 

That I might covet pain, 
And deem whatever brought to me 
The loving thought of deit}^ 
And sense of Christ's sweet sympathy 

Not loss, but richest gain. 

Dear Lord ! my heart hath not a doubt 
That thou dost compass me about 

With sympathy divine ! 
The love for me once crucified 
Is not the love to leave my side 
But waiteth ever to divide 

Each smallest care of mine. 

— Author unknown. 

LXXXI 
The Early Year 

O God, the Creator of both summer and win- 
ter, who causest light to shine out of the thick 
gloom, and bringest good out of evil : give us 
grace so to flee what thou forbiddest, that we 
may cast aside the works of darkness, and so 
to choose what thou commandest, that we may 
be children of light; but, since darkness and 
light obey thee, give all the messengers of thy 
providence charge over us, that, serving thee in 
peace and thankfulness, v/e may be brought 
through humility to serve thee in glory. Grant 
this prayer, O Lord. Am.en. — Anonymous, 

87 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

LXXXII 
Deliver Me, O God 

Deliver me, O God, from too intense an appli- 
cation to even necessary business. I know how 
this dissipates my thoughts from the one end of 
all my business, and impairs that lively perception 
I would ever retain of thee standing at my right 
hand. I know the narrowness of my heart, and 
that an eager attention to earthly things leaves 
it no room for the things of heaven. O teach 
me to go through all my employments with so 
truly disengaged a heart, that I may still see thee 
in all things, and see thee therein as continually 
looking upon me, and searching my reins; and 
that I may never impair that liberty of spirit 
which is necessary for the love of thee. 

Deliver me, O God, from a slothful mind, from 
all lukewarmness, and all dejection of spirit. I 
know these cannot but deaden my love to thee; 
mercifully free my heart from them, and give 
me a lively, zealous, active, and cheerful spirit; 
that I may vigorously perform whatever thou 
commandest, thankfully suffer whatever thou 
choosest for me, and be ever ardent to obey in 
all things thy holy love. 

Above all, deliver me, O my God, from all 
idolatrous self-love. I know, O God (blessed be 
thy infinite mercy for giving me this knowledge), 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

that this is the root of all evil. I know thou 
madest me, not to do my own will, but thine. I 
know that the very corruption of the devil is 
the having a will contrary to thine. O be thou 
my helper against this most dangerous of all 
idols, that I may both discern all its subtleties, 
and withstand all its force. O thou who hast 
commanded me to renounce myself, give me 
strength, and I will obey thy command. My 
choice and desire is to love myself, as all other 
creatures, in and for thee. O let thy almighty 
arm so stablish, strengthen, and settle me, that 
thou mayest ever be the ground and pillar of 
all my love. Amen. — John Wesley. 



LXXXIII 

Befote a Journey 

Lord, go before thy servant this day, and let 
me not go forth unless thou go forth with me — 
thou who guidest pilgrims and emigrants, the 
God of wanderers and of strangers, who art both 
God near and God afar. Be with me, O Lord, 
and guide me, and dispose my way ; bless me in 
all good ends, and keep me in innocence, and 
bring me home in safety, w^ith thanksgiving. So 
be it, O Lord. Amen. — From Psalms and Lit- 
anies, by Rozdand Williams, D.D, 

89 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

LXXXIV 
At Eveningf Time 

At evening time, when day is done, 
Life's little day is near its close, 

And all the glare and heat are gone, 
And gentle dews foretell repose; 

To crown my faith before the night, 

At evening time let there be light ! 

God doth send light at evening time. 
And bids the fears and doubtings flee; 

I trust his promises sublime; 
His glory now is risen on me; 

His full salvation is in sight — 

At evening time there now is light ! 

— G. Raw son, 

LXXXV 

Nearer to Thee 

O God, my God, I am all weakness, but thou 
art my strength; I am ever anew bowed down 
by any trial, but thou canst and wiliest to lift me 
up. Let me not fail, O God, my strength ; let me 
not be discouraged, O God, my hope. Draw 
me, each day, if it be but a little nearer unto thee ; 
make me, each day, if it be but a little less unlike 
thee ; let me do or bear each day something, for 
love of thee, whereby I may be fitter for thee. Let 
no day pass without my having done something 
pleasing unto thee. Thus alone would I livej 

90 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

that I may live more unto thee ; thus would I 
die, longing to love thee more. Amen. — £. 5. 
Piisey, 

LXXXVI 

Our All in All 

Almighty God, our light in darkness, our 
strength in weakness, our hope in sinfulness, and 
our eternal home, be unto us merciful, long- 
suffering, and patient; that we, who be slow of 
growth, may hope to come at last to thy likeness ; 
and, being upheld by thee, may by thy mercy go 
from strength to strength, until, through the 
waste and dreariness, through the joy and duty 
of this earthly life having safely passed, we 
through the fullness of thy mercy may come 
into the land of the eternal peace. Amen. — 
George Dawson. 

LXXXVII 

Lord, Succor Us 

O LoRD^ succor, we beseech thee, us who are 
tempted. May nothing induce us to distrust thy 
care over us, nor to use thy gifts to the denial 
of thee, their Giver. May w^e never presume 
upon thy protection when we are forsaking thy 
paths, and tempting thee. May we never, for 
the sake of any supposed gain or advancement, 

91 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

quench the testimony of thy Spirit, or prove dis- 
loyal to thy service. Do thou so support us in all 
temptations that, when we have been tried, we 
may receive the crown of life, which thou hast 
prepared for them that love thee. Amen. — 
Henry Alford. 

LXXXVIII 
My World Within 

As Thou hast made thy world without, 
Make thou more fair my world within ; 

Shine through its lingering clouds of doubt, 
Rebuke its haunting shapes of sin. 

Fill, brief or long, my granted span 

Of life with love to thee and man; 

Strike when thou wilt the hour of rest, 

But let my last days be my best! 

— /. G, Whittier. 

LXXXIX 
In Time of Stomi 
Almighty God, Lord of the storm and of the 
calm, the vexed sea and the quiet haven, of day 
and of night, of life and of death, grant unto us 
so to have our hearts stayed upon thy faithful- 
ness, thine unchangingness and love, that, what- 
soever betide us, however black the cloud or dark 
the night, with quiet faith trusting in thee, we 
may look upon thee with untroubled eye, and 
walking in lowliness toward thee, and in loving- 

92 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

ness toward one another, abide all storms and 
troubles of this mortal life, beseeching thee that 
they may turn to the soul's true good. We ask 
it for thy mercy's sake, shown in Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. — George Dawson. 



XC 

The Giver of AD Good 

O GoD^ who art the Giver of all good gifts, I 
thy unworthy servant entirely desire to praise 
thy name for all the expressions of thy bounty 
toward me. Blessed be thy love for giving thy 
Son to die for our sins, for the means of grace, 
and for the hope of glory. Blessed be thy love 
for all the temporal benefits which thou hast with 
a liberal hand poured out upon me ; for my health 
and strength, food and raiment, and all other 
necessaries with which thou hast provided thy 
sinful servant. I also bless thee that, after all 
my refusal of thy grace, thou still hast patience 
with me, hast preserved me through this night, 
and given me yet another day to renew and per- 
fect my repentance. Pardon, good Lord, all my 
former sins, and make me every day more 
zealous and diligent to improve every opportu- 
nity of building up my soul in thy faith, and 
love, and obedience. Make thyself always pres- 

93 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

ent to my mind, and let thy love fill and rule my 
soul, in all those places and companies and em- 
ployments to which thou callest me this day. In 
all my passage through this world suffer not my 
heart to be set upon it ; but always fix my single 
eye and my undivided affections on ''the prize of 
my high calling." This one thing let me do ; let 
me so press toward this, as to make all things else 
minister unto it ; and be careful so to use them, 
as thereby to fit my soul for that pure bliss which 
thou hast prepared for those that love thee. 
Amen. — John Wesley, 



XCI 

For the Disconsolate 

O Lord, have compassion, we beseech of thee, 
upon those that are in darkness and trouble; 
upon those that are bound hand and foot. Thou 
that dost deliver the prisoners, break the doors 
and the chains that hold them, whatever they 
may be, within or without ; and bring them forth 
into liberty and light and jo}^ Grant, we pray 
thee, that if there be those who sit in the valley 
and the shadow of death, they may find in thy 
word comfort and consolation, and may discern 
the rising of the sun of a better day. Amen. — 
Henry Ward Beecher, 

94 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XCII 
For Discernment 

Grant me, O Lord, to know that which ought 
to be known; to love that which ought to be 
loved; to praise that which pleaseth thee most, 
to esteem that which is precious in thy sight, to 
blame that which is vile in thine eyes. Suffer 
me not to judge according to the sight of bodily 
eyes, nor to give sentence according to the hear- 
ing of the ears of ignorant men ; but to discern in 
true judgment between visible and spiritual 
things, and above all things to be ever seeking 
after the will of thy good pleasure. — Imitatio 
Christi. 

XCIII 
Longfing* and Listening" 

To stretch my hand and touch Him, 

Though he be far away; 
To raise my eyes and see him 

Through darkness as through day; 
To lift my voice and call him — 
This is to pray ! 

To feel a hand extended 

By One who standeth near; 
To view the love that shineth 

In eyes serene and clear; 

To know that he is calling — 

This is to hear! 

— The late Samuel W. DufHeld, D.D. 
95 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XCIV 

Guard and Give 

O heavenly Father, we need thy love and thy 
calm breath shed abroad in our souls to be a foun- 
tain of strength ; we know not without thee what 
may befall us this day, either of peril or of temp- 
tation or sorrow. But thou canst put a guard 
about our path, and canst fence all our senses 
from temptation by sobering them with thy holy 
fear. Thou canst recall us from vain imagin- 
ings, and calm the passionate or useless reverie. 
Give us, then, we pray thee, a right sense of duty, 
to shield us in all conflict, and guard us against 
sin and death. Lead us not into temptation; or 
when we are tempted, deliver us by humble 
watchfulness from all power of evil. Amen. — 
From Psalms and LitanieSj by Rowland Wil- 
liams, D.D. 

XCV 

Bcgfinning the Day 

O LoRD^ our strength and our Redeemer, send 
thy light and thy truth into our hearts this day. 
Help us to give thy Spirit the right of way into 
every avenue and chamber of our natures. In- 
vigorate and clarify our judgments; cleanse our 
imaginations; make our wills resolute and firm 
in the path of obedience; renew our aflfections 

96 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

and fix them upon thee. Make our hearts the 
habitation of thy grace, and teach us to regard 
our bodies as the temples of the Holy Ghost. 
May we commune with thee in our inmost 
thoughts, love thee with all our strength, and 
devote ourselves to thy service forever. Grant 
this for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 
— /. B. Y. 

XCVI 
Lotdf I Give Thanks 

Lord, I give thanks ! 
Last year, thou knowest, my best ambitions failed; 
My back with scourgings of defeat was flailed ; 
My eyes felt oft the sharp salt wash of tears; 
No guerdon blessed the tireless toil of years; 
Fast in the snares my helpless feet were tied. 
Yet in my woes thou didst with me abide. 

Lord, I give thanks ! 

Lord, I give thanks ! 
Last year my one lone ship came back to me, 
A ruined wreck of what she used to be, 
No cargo in her hold, storm-stained and scarred. 
O Lord, thou knowest that it was hard, was hard, 
To watch her drifting bulk with hopeless eye. 
Yet in my desolation thou wert nigh. 

Lord, I give thanks ! 

Lord, I give thanks ! 
Last year the one I loved the dearest died, 
And like a desert waste became the wide 
97 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

And weary world. Love's last sweet star went out: 
Blackness of darkness wrapped me round about. 
Yet, in the midst of my mad misery, 
Thou lent' St thy rod and staff to comfort me. 
Lord, I give thanks ! 

— Susie M. Best, in Lippincott's. 



XCVII 

An Evening: Supplication 

Into thy hands, most blessed Jesus, I commend 
my soul and body, for thou hast redeemed both 
with thy most precious blood. So bless and 
sanctify my sleep unto me that it may be temper- 
ate, holy, and safe, a refreshment to my wearied 
body, to enable it to serve my soul, that both 
may serve thee with a never-failing duty. O 
let me never sleep in sin or death eternal, but 
give me a watchful and a prudent spirit, that I 
may omit no opportunity of serving thee; that 
whether I sleep or wake, live or die, I may be 
thy servant and thy child; that when the work 
of my life is done, I may rest in the bosom of my 
Lord, till by the voice of the archangel, the trump 
of God, I shall be awakened and called to sit 
down and feast in the eternal supper of the 
Lamb. Grant this, O Lamb of God, for the 
honor of thy mercies, and the glory of thy name, 
O most merciful Saviour and Redeemer Jesus. 
Amen. — From Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living, 

98 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

XCVIII 
Speak to Me^ Lord 

Speak to me, Lord ! Thy word of consolation 
Steals like sweet dew to freshen every hour: 

Speak, I implore, a message of salvation 
To shield my heart from keen temptation's power. 

Thou art my life, my strength ! Good Lord, remember 
How weak I am, how prone to faint and fall ! 

When Love burns low breathe on each dying ember, 
And with thy breath its fervent glow recall. 

Thou art my hope I How could I reach thy heaven. 
If thou no helping hand didst lay on me? 

Thy mercy oft my wanderings has forgiven: 
Forgive once more, and bid me live in thee ! 

— Henry W. Hawkes. 

XCIX 

Lead Us Not into Temptation 

LoRD^ thou knowest our infirmities, and the 
power and malice of our enemies. Thou know- 
est how to deliver the godly out of temptation. 
Grant, O God, that I may never run into those 
temptations, which in my prayers I desire to 
avoid! Vouchsafe me the gift of perseverance, 
on which my eternal happiness depends. Lord, 
never permit my trials to be above my strength. 
O Holy Spirit of grace, be not wanting to me in 
the hour of temptation. And in all temptations, 

99 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

give us power to resist and overcome. Leave 
us not in the power of evil spirits to ruin us. 
Support us under all our saving trials and 
troubles. Amen. — From Bishop Wilson's Sacra 
Privata. 

C 

Lift Up My Sotil 

Let me not seek out of thee what I can find 
only in thee, O Lord, peace and rest and joy and 
bliss, which abide only in thine abiding joy. Lift 
up my soul above the weary round of harassing 
thoughts to thy eternal presence. Lift up my 
soul to the pure, bright, serene, radiant atmos- 
phere of thy presence, that there I may breathe 
freely, there repose in thy love, there be at rest 
from myself, and from all things that weary me ; 
and thence return, arrayed with thy peace, to do 
and bear what shall please thee. Amen. — Rev. 
Dr. E. B. Pusey. 

CI 
Inwardly Renewed 

Lord, what a change within us one short hour 
Spent in thy presence will prevail to make! 
What heavy burden from our bosoms take, 
What parched grounds revive, as with a shower? 
We kneel, and all around us seems to lower; 
We rise, and all, the distant and the near, 
Stands forth a sunny outline brave and clear. 

100 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

We kneel, how weak! We rise, how full of power! 
Why, wherefore, should we do ourselves this wrong, 
Or others, that we are not always strong; 
That we are ever overborne with care ; 
That we should ever weak or heartless be, 
Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer, 
And joy and strength and courage are with thee? 

— R, C. Trench, 

CII 
A Bifthday Pfaycr 

Blessed be God for my creation and birth ; 
for giving me a being from honest parents, fear- 
ing God, and in a Christian and Protestant 
country; for giving me perfect members and 
senses, a sound reason, and a healthful consti- 
tution ; for the means of grace, the assistances of 
the Holy Spirit, and for the hope of glory; for 
my good education; for all the known and un- 
observed favors, providences, and deliverances, 
by which my life has hitherto been preserved ; 
most humbly beseeching thee, my God and Fa- 
ther, to pardon my neglect or abuse of thy favors, 
and that I have so very much forgotten thee, 
in whom I live, and move, and have my being. 

Good Lord, forgive me the great w^aste of my 
precious time; the many days and years of 
health, and the many opportunities of doing good, 
which I have lost; and give me grace, that for 
the time to come I may be truly wise, that I may 

lOI 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

consider my latter end, and work out my salva- 
tion with fear and trembling, ever remembering 
''that the night cometh when no man can work f ' 
and that the day of my death may be better to me 
than the day of my birth. 

O gracious God, grant that before thou takest 
from me that breath which thou gavest me, I 
may truly repent of the errors of my life past; 
that my sins may be forgiven, and my pardon 
sealed in heaven; so that I may have a place of 
rest in paradise with thy faithful servants, till 
the general resurrection; when the good Lord 
vouchsafe me a better and an everlasting life, 
through Jesus Christ. Amen. — From Bishop 
Wilson's Sacra Privata, 

cm 

For Constancy 

Lord God of mercy, give to thy martyrs, con- 
fessors, and all thy persecuted, constancy and 
prudence, boldness and hope, a full faith, and a 
never-failing charity. To all who are condemned 
to death do thou minister comfort, a strong, a 
quiet, and a resigned spirit; take from them the 
fear of death, and all remaining affections to sin, 
and all imperfections of duty, and cause them to 
die full of grace, full of hope. And give to all 
faithful, and particularly to them who have rec- 

102 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

ommended themselves to the prayers of thy un- 
worthy servant, a supply of all their needs, tem- 
poral and spiritual, and, according to their several 
states and necessities, rest and peace, pardon 
and refreshment ; and show us all a mercy in the 
day of judgment. Amen. — Jeremy Taylor. 

CIV 

His Way Is Best 

God lets us go our way alone, till we are homesick and 

distressed, 
And humbly, then, come back to own his way is best. 

He lets us thirst by Horeb's rock, and hunger in the 

wilderness ; 
Yet, at our feeblest, faintest knock, he waits to bless. 

He lets us faint in far-off lands, and feed on husks, 

and feel the smart, 
Till we come home with empty hands and swelling 

heart. 

But then for us the robe and ring, the Father's welcome 

and the feast. 
While over us the angels sing — though last and least. 

— British Weekly, 

CV 
A Fruit-bearing Day 

Glorify thy holy name, O God, through us in 
a fruit-bearing day. Help us to abide in Christ 
that we may share his life and do his work. If 

103 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

the channels of our thought and our desire are 
checked with sin, purge us that we may bring 
forth more fruit. In the morning hours of toil, 
in noontime rest, in the work that draws to an 
end with the sun setting, and in our evening 
thoughts or cares abide thou with us and make 
our hearts glad in thee. The night's rest and 
the new strength the morning brings for soul 
and body are from thee, and thine shall be our 
praise in every gain and effort, in every joy and 
grief, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — 
The Congregationalist. 

CVl 

Before Studying the Word 

Give me, O God, a love for thy Scriptures, and 
a true understanding of them. O Jesus, open my 
understanding, cause me to love thy word, and 
to order my faith and life according to it. May 
I, O Jesus, love thy word, make thy Gospel my 
delight, and continue in the practice of thy law 
unto my life's end. O Holy Spirit, make me to 
understand, embrace, and love the truths of the 
Gospel. Give, O God, thy blessing unto thy 
word, that it may become effectual to my conver- 
sion and salvation, and to the salvation of all that 
read or hear it. Let thy gracious promises, O 
God, contained in thy word, quicken my obedi- 

104 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

ence. Let thy dreadful threatenings and judg- 
ments upon sinners fright me from sin, and 
obHge me to a speedy repentance, for Jesus 
Christ's sake. Cause me, O God, to believe thy 
word, to obey thy commands, to fear thy judg- 
ments, and to hope in, and depend upon, thy 
gracious promises, contained in thy holy word, 
for Jesus Christ's sake. — From Sacra Privata, 
by Bishop Wilson. 

CVII 

Watch over Us fot Good 

O Lord our God, thy glory is above all our 
thoughts, and thy mercy is over all thy works. 
We are still living monuments of thy mercy ; for 
thou hast not cut us off in our sins, but still 
givest us a good hope and strong consolation 
through grace. Thou hast sent thy only Son 
into the world, ''that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish" in his sins, ''but have everlast- 
ing life." O Lord, we believe ; help our unbelief, 
and give us the true "repentance toward God, 
and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," that we may 
be in the number of those who do indeed repent 
and "believe to the saving of the soul." "Being 
justified by faith," let us "have peace with God, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ;" let us "rejoice 
in him through whom we have now redemption 

105 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

in his blood;'' and let ''the love of God be shed 
abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which 
is given unto us." 

And we pray that thou wilt be to us a Father of 
mercies and a God of consolation, so that thou 
wilt make us ''followers of God as dear children," 
ever jealous over our hearts, and watchful over 
our ways ; continually fearing to offend, and en- 
deavoring to please thee. Thou knowest, O Lord, 
all our temptations, and the sin that doth so easily 
beset us. Thou knowest the devices of the 
enemy, and the deceitfulness of our own hearts. 
We pray thee, good Lord, that thou wilt arm us 
with the whole armor of God. Uphold us with 
thy free spirit, and watch over us for good 
evermore. Amen. — John Wesley. 

CVIII 
O Mother-Heart, to thee I turn — 
Comfort thy child, for thee I yearn: 
Like a parched field my soul doth lie 
Pining beneath a sultry sky; 
O heavenly Dew, O gentle Rain, 
Descend and bid it bloom again. 

— G. Tersteegen. 

CIX 
The Night Also is Thine 

''O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in 
wisdom hast thou made them all. The day is 

1 06 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

thine, the night also is thine ; thou hast prepared 
the Hght and the sun/' We render thee thanks 
for all the benefits which thou hast bestowed on 
the whole world; especially on us, whom thou 
hast called to the knowledge of thy grace in 
Christ Jesus. It is a marvelous love wherewith 
thou hast loved us. Thou hast not dealt so with 
all people; and as for thy great and precious 
promises, they have not known them. 

Accept, O merciful Father, the good resolu- 
tions which thou hast inspired us with by thy 
Spirit. Strengthen them, we beseech thee, with thy 
continued grace, that no sudden desires, vehement 
inclinations, ineffectual purposes, no, nor partial 
performances, may lead us into a false opinion 
of ourselves ; but that we may bring forth actu- 
ally, and with a constant spirit, all the fruits of 
righteousness, which are by Christ Jesus. 

Deny not, O Lord, the desires of those souls 
who would offer up themselves entirely to thy 
service. But preserve us always in seriousness 
of spirit. Let the sense of our weakness make 
us watchful and diligent, the sense of our for- 
mer negligence excite us to be fervent in spirit, 
and the goodness of thy commands render us 
fruitful and abundant in the work of the Lord. 
O that all our pious affections may be turned into 
actions of piety and holiness ; and may all our 
actions be spirited with zeal, and all our zeal 

107 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

regulated with prudence, and our prudence void 
of all guile, and joined with perfect integrity of 
heart; that, adorning our most holy faith here, 
by an upright, charitable, and discreet conversa- 
tion, we may receive praise in the day of the 
Lord, and be numbered with thy saints in glory 
everlasting. Amen. — John Wesley, 

CX 

Prayer of a Penitent 

For, as for me, I am not worthy to be called 
thy servant, much less am I worthy to be thy son ; 
for I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of 
men, a lover of the things of the world, and a 
despiser of the things of God (proud and envi- 
ous, lustful and intemperate), greedy of sin and 
impatient of reproof, desirous to seem holy and 
negligent of being so, transported with interest, 
fooled with presumption and false principles, dis- 
turbed with anger, with a peevish and unmortified 
spirit, and disordered by a whole body of sin and 
death. Lord, pardon all my sins for my Saviour's 
sake ; thou who didst die for me, holy Jesus, save 
me and deliver me; reserve not my sins to be 
punished in the day of wrath and eternal venge- 
ance ; but wash away my sins, and blot them out 
of thy remembrance, and purify my soul with 
the waters of repentance and the blood of the 

io8 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

cross; that for what is past thy wrath may not 
come out against me, and for the time to come I 
may never provoke thee to anger or jealousy. O 
just and dear God, be pitiful and gracious to thy 
servant. Amen. — Jeremy Taylor. 

CXI 

In the Sanctuary 

We beseech thee, Lord, open the heavens from 
whence thy gifts descend to us, and from hence 
may our hearts look back to thee. Grant that 
while we receive the benefits which we implore, 
we may render the service enjoined to us. Look 
down from heaven, O Lord, behold and visit 
this vine which thy right hand hath planted. 
Strengthen the weak, relieve the contrite, confirm 
the strong. Build them up in love, cleanse them 
with purity, enlighten them with wisdom, keep 
them with mercy. Thou who art the eternal 
Shepherd of men, feed the hungry, give drink to 
the thirsty, seek for the lost, convert the wander- 
ing, bind up that which is broken ; may they feel 
the touch of thy hand, and receive the joy of the 
Holy Spirit, that they may remain blessed for 
evermore. Almighty God, who fillest earth, and 
air, and sea, and sky with thy infinite presence, 
but bringest chiefly thy thought to life in the 
house of prayer and the minds of men, give us 

109 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

grace always to enter thy church with awe, and 
so to call on thee in common devotion, that we 
may go forth with a blessing, for thy goodness' 
sake. — From Rowland Williams's Psalms and 
Litanies. 



CXII 
Thy Will Is Best 

I WOULD have climbed at early dawn 
Up the steep hillside, toiling where 
The paths led on through sun and shade, 
Till I had won its summit fair; 
I would have kept mine own rash will, 
When, lo! He whispered me, 
^'Be still." 

I would have rested, at the hush 
Of eventide, by some calm stream, 
And there, with folded hands, content. 
Lived o'er again life's checkered dream; 
But, ah ! through twilight's deepest ray 
His clear voice thrilled me. 
Whispering, ''Nay." 

O God ! I thank thee, I have learned 
That thine unerring will is best; 
At thy command, that rest is toil. 
That, with thy presence, toil is rest; 
Content, through bright or shadowed way, 
At thy sweet will to go 
Or stay. 

— Author unknown, 
no 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXIII 
A Child's Pf ayer 

O Lord, my most loving Saviour and merciful 
Redeemer, who commandest that little children 
should come unto thee, and didst take them up 
in thine arms, lay thy hands upon and bless 
them, look graciously upon me, who am one 
of thy children devoted to thy service. Have 
compassion on the weakness of my tender years, 
and keep me from all evil and danger both in 
body and soul. Make me always mindful of my 
Creator in the days of my youth, and of that bap- 
tismal vow that was made in my name. Make 
me dutiful to my parents, loving to my associ- 
ates, obedient to my governors and instructors, 
and courteous and humble to all, that as I grow in 
years I may grow m grace and wisdom and be in 
favor with God and man. Guide and sanctify 
me by thy Holy Spirit, that the longer I live the 
better I may be, to the comfort of my parents, the 
honor and glory of thee, my God, and my own 
happiness both here and hereafter; and this I 
beg for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen. — The 
Congregationalist. 

CXIV 
A Ffcsh Begfinningf 

Whom have I in heaven but thee, O Lord? 
and there is none on earth that I will desire be- 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

sides thee. Thou art my God, and I will thank 
thee; thou art my God, and I will serve thee. 
Be thou my only Ruler and Governor. They that 
have a convenient place to sleep in, and they 
that have the comfort of sleep, have both great 
reason to be thankful. And even they that want 
these mercies ought to bless God, if in the midst 
of their afflictions he is pleased to refresh them 
with the comforts of grace. Therefore, O gra- 
cious God, continue to me these favors so long, 
and in such a measure, as shall most contribute 
to thy honor, and my salvation. And in great 
mercy support and relieve all that want these 
blessings. Lord, make me ever mindful of my 
infirmities and backslidings, that I may be more 
watchful, and more importunate for grace for 
the time to come. O Lord, grant that the ad- 
versity of our souls may never find me off my 
guard, or from under thy protection. O Lord, 
obtain for me the spirit of mortification and self- 
denial, that I may follow thee, as I hope to live 
with thee forever. Amen. — From Bishop Wil- 
son's Sacra Privata. 

cxv 
An Abundant Entrance 

O LoRD^ we pray that we may be mindful of 
what thou commandest us to do. May we not 
be content with the mere attainment of life 

112 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

through Jesus Christ our Lord, precious as this 
is in the last degree, but may we seek to have it 
more abundantly. May we be stimulated by the 
exhortations of thy word, and the examples which 
it holds up for our imitation, to strive after every 
grace of the Christian character. May w^e add 
to our faith, virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge ; 
and to knowledge, temperance ; and to temper- 
ance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and 
to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly 
kindness, charity; that so an entrance may be 
ministered to us abundantly into the everlasting 
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Amen. — British Weekly. 

CXVI 

Evening: Invocation 

O MY God, let thy glorious name be duly 
honored and loved by all the creatures which thou 
hast made. Let thy infinite goodness and great- 
ness be ever adored by all angels and men. May 
thy Church be protected from all the powers of 
darkness. O vouchsafe to all who call them- 
selves by thy name one short glimpse of thy 
goodness. May they once taste and see how 
gracious thou art, that all things else may be 
tasteless to them ; that their desires may be al- 
ways flying up toward thee ; that they may render 

113 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

thee love, and praise, and obedience, pure and 
cheerful, constant and zealous, universal and uni- 
form, like that the holy angels render thee in 
heaven. 

O thou Shepherd of Israel, vouchsafe to re- 
ceive me this night and ever into thy protection ; 
accept my poor services, and pardon the sinful- 
ness of these and all my holy duties. O let it be 
thy good pleasure shortly to put a period to sin 
and misery, to infirmity and death, to complete 
the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy king- 
dom ; that we, and all that wait for thy salvation, 
may eternally love and praise thee, O God the 
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, 
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 
— John Wesley, 

CXVII 

At Eventide 

Almighty and everlasting God, at evening, 
and morning, and at noonday, we humbly be- 
seech thee, that thou wouldest drive from our 
hearts the darkness of sin, and let us walk in the 
true light, which shineth out from thy will for- 
ever. Thine is the day, O Lord, and the night is 
thine; grant that the Sun of Righteousness may 
abide in our hearts, to drive away dark and 
wicked thoughts ; through thy holy breathing 

114 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

whereby thou puttest strength in us. We give 
thee thanks, O Lord, who hast preserved us 
through the day. We give thee thanks, who wilt 
preserve us through the night. Bring us, we be- 
seech thee, O Lord, in safety to the morning 
hours, that thou mayest receive our praise at all 
times, and we be thy people, and thou our God. 
Amen. — From Psalms and Litanies, by Rowland 
Williams, D,D. 

CXVIII 

Glorify Thy Name 

O ETERNAL God, who hast made all things for 
man, and man for thy glory, sanctify my body 
and soul, my thoughts and my intentions, my 
words and actions, that whatsoever I shall think, 
or speak, or do, may be by me designed to the 
glorification of thy name, and by thy blessing it 
may be effective and successful in the work of 
God, according as it can be capable. Lord, turn 
my necessities into virtue, the works of nature 
into the works of grace, by making them orderly, 
regular, temperate, subordinate, and profitable to 
ends beyond their own proper efficacy ; and let no 
pride or self-seeking, no covetousness or revenge, 
no impure mixture of unhandsome purposes, no 
little ends and low imaginations pollute my spirit 
and unhallow any of my words and actions ; but 

115 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

let my body be a servant of my spirit, and both 
body and spirit servants of Jesus ; that doing all 
things for thy glory here, I may be partaker of 
thy glory hereafter, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. — Jeremy Taylor. 

CXIX 
Send Me 

Not mine to mount to courts where seraphs sing, 

Or glad archangels soar on outstretched wing; 

Not mine, in union with celestial choirs. 

To sound heaven's trump or strike the gentler wires; 

Not mine to stand enrolled at crystal gates. 

Where Michael thunders or where Uriel waits. 

But lesser worlds a Father's kindness know. 
Be mine some simple service here below — 
To weep with those who weep, their joy to share, 
Their pains to solace or their burdens bear; 
Some widow in her agony to meet, 
Some exile in his new-found home to greet; 
To serve some child of thine, and so serve thee. 
Lo, here am I : to such a work send me. 

—Dr. E. E, Hale, 

cxx 

At Thy Feet 

Almighty Saviour, before whom all the 
wicked are scattered as chaff before the wind, 
may our hearts be so thoroughly convinced of thy 

ii6 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

transcendent power and greatness, that we may 
willingly lay ourselves at thy feet and worship 
thee, lest thou destroy us by the blasting of the 
breath of thy lips. Thou here rulest among thine 
enemies ; come and rule also in our hearts ; and 
may that carnal mind, which is enmity against 
thee, be made thy footstool. Grant that thy 
sacred word may not be unto us a savor of death 
unto death, but a savor of life unto life, for the 
sake of thine infinite love. Amen. — From Medi- 
tations and Contemplations J by /. /. Rambach, 
D.D. 

CXXI 

With a Resigned Will 

I WILL love thee, O God; being satisfied that 
all things, however strange and irksome they 
appear, shall work together for good to those 
that do so. I know in whom I have believed; I 
have a Saviour at thy right hand, full of kind- 
ness, full of care, full of power; he has prayed 
for me, that this faith fail me not; and by this 
faith I am persuaded, that neither tribulation, 
nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor 
nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, nor death which 
I may fear, nor life which I may hope for, nor 
things present which I feel, nor things to come 
which I may apprehend, shall ever prevail so 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

far over me, as to make me not to resign my will 
entirely to thee. In a humble, quiet, and duti- 
ful submission, let me faithfully run the race that 
is set before me, looking unto Jesus, the author 
and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that 
was set before him, despised the shame, endured 
the cross, and is now seated at the right hand 
of God ; to whom I most humbly beseech thee to 
bring me in thy good time; and for whatever 
shall fall out in the meanwhile, thy will be done. 
Amen. — From Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata. 

CXXII 

Lord of the Livingf 

O THOU Eternal, in whose appointment our 
life standeth, thou hast committed our work to us, 
and we would commit our cares to thee. May we 
feel that we are not our own, and that thou wilt 
heed our wants, while we are intent upon thy 
will. May we never dwell carelessly or say in our 
hearts : "I am here, and there is none over me ;" 
nor anxiously, as though our path were hid; 
but with a mind simply fixed upon our trust, and 
choosing nothing but the dispositions of thy 
providence. More and more fill us with that pity 
for others' troubles which comes from forgetful- 
ness of our own; and the glad hope of the chil- 
dren of eternity. And unto thee, the Beginning 

ii8 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

and the End, Lord of the Hving, Refuge of the 
dying, be thanks and praise forever! Amen. — 
Rev, Dr. James Martineau. 



CXXIII 

A Litany 

O THOU hope of all the ends of the earth, and 
of them that remain in the broad sea; thou on 
whom our fathers hoped, and were delivered ; 
waited, and were not confounded ; my own hope 
from my youth, and from my mother's breasts: 
be thou my portion in the land of the living. In 
thy nature and thy names, and in the experience 
of those who sought thee, we find strength to lay 
hold upon. O Lord, thou who art a rock and a 
refuge, let us not be disappointed in our trust in 
thee. Thou who knowest whereof we are made, 
and whereby our shortcoming, have pity on all, 
O Lord. Lord both of the dead and the living, 
live we or die we, be thou our hope; have pity 
on both living and dead. O Helper of the help- 
less, and stronger than the strong, remember all 
who are in distress of mind, body, or estate ; suc- 
cor them according to their need. God of all 
grace and truth, establish all who stand, and lift 
up the fallen out of delusion or sin. Defender of 
all on whom thou pourest out thy gifts, let thy 
love be a perpetual ransom to the captive and 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

distressed. Grant that all thy children calling 
upon thee may be joined in the fellowship of one 
Holy Spirit. Remove not our candlestick, with 
its imperfect light, out of its place, until thou 
givest us better light. Amen. — From Psalms 
and Litanies, by Rowland Williams, D,D. 



CXXIV 

Teach and Quicken Us 

O Lord, our Father, teach us to know thee our 
God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; 
and enable us to do thy will on earth, as it is done 
in heaven. Give us to fear thee and to love thee, 
to trust and delight in thee, and to cleave to thee 
with full purpose of heart, that no temptations 
may draw us or drive us from thee ; but that all 
thy dispensations to us, and thy dealings with us, 
may be the messengers of thy love to our souls. 
Quicken us, O Lord, in our dullness, that we may 
not serve thee in a lifeless and listless manner; 
but may abound in thy work, and be fervent in 
spirit, serving the Lord. And make us faithful 
in all our intercourse with our neighbors, that we 
may be ready to do good and bear evil, that we 
may be just and kind, merciful and meek, peace- 
able and patient, sober and temperate, humble 
and self-denying, inoffensive and useful in the 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

world; that so glorifying thee here, we may be 
glorified with thee in thy heavenly kingdom. 

Day by day we magnify thee, O Lord, who 
makest every day an addition to thy mercies. 
We bless thee for preserving us the night past, 
and for the rest thou gavest us therein. O cause 
us to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; 
for in thee do we trust. Cause us to know the way 
wherein we should go, for we lift up our souls 
unto thee. O take not thy Holy Spirit from us ; 
but direct all our ways to please thee, our God. 
Help us to see thy power, to own thy presence, 
to admire thy wisdom, and to love thy goodness 
in all thy creatures ; and by all, draw our hearts 
still nearer to thee. Such thy mercy and grace 
we beg for ourselves, and all ours and thine 
everywhere in our great Mediator's name. Amen. 
— John Wesley. 

cxxv 
Faith 

Securely cabined in the ship below, 

Through darkness and through storm I cross the sea, 

A pathless wilderness of waves to me. 

But yet I do not fear, because I know 

That he who guided the good ship o'er that waste 

Sees in the stars her shining pathway traced. 

Blindfold I walk this life's bewildering maze: 
Up flinty steep, through frozen mountain pass, 
Through thorn-set barren and through deep morass; 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

But strong in faith I tread the uneven ways, 
And bare my head unshrinking to the blast, 
Because my Father's arm is round me cast; 
And if the way seems rough, I only clasp 
The hand that leads me with a firmer grasp. 

— Anna C. Lynch Botta, 

CXXVI 
For Christian Rulers 

O King of kings, and Prince of all the rulers 
of the earth, give thy grace and spirit to all 
Christian princes, the spirit of wisdom and 
counsel, the spirit of government and godly fear. 
Grant unto them to live in peace and honor, that 
their people may love and fear them, and they 
may love and fear God. Speak good unto their 
hearts concerning the Church, that they may be 
nursing fathers to it, fathers to the fatherless, 
judges and avengers of the cause of widows; 
that they may be compassionate to the wants of 
the poor, and the groans of the oppressed; that 
they may not vex or kill the Lord's people with 
unjust or ambitious wars, but may feed the flock 
of God, and may inquire after and do all things 
which may promote peace, public honesty, and 
holy religion; so administering things present, 
that they may not fail of the everlasting glories 
of the world to come, where all thy faithful 
people shall reign kings forever. Amen. — 
Jeremy Taylor, 

122 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXXVII 

Renunciation 

Great and glorious God, who alone art worthy 
of our love and service, cure me of, and preserve 
me from, the sin and vanity of admiring this 
world. Give me grace to renounce all covetous 
desires, all love of riches and pleasures ; to de- 
sire only what is necessary, and to be content with 
what thou, O Lord, thinkest so; not to be 
troubled at the loss or want of anything besides 
thy favor; that no business, no pleasures, may 
divert me from the thoughts of the world to 
come ; that I may cheerfully part with all these 
things when thou requirest it of me; and that I 
may ever be prepared to do so, dispose me to a 
temperance in all things, and to lay up my treas- 
ure in heaven, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. — 
From Bishop Wilson s Sacra Privata. 

CXXVIII 

A Meek and Quiet Spirit 

Grant unto us. Almighty God, of thy good 
Spirit, that quiet heart, and that patient lowliness 
to which thy comforting Spirit comes; that we, 
being humbled toward thee, and loving toward 
one another, may have our hearts prepared for 
that peace of thine which passeth understand- 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

ing; which, if we have, the storms of Hfe can 
hurt us but Httle, and the cares of Hfe vex us not 
at all; in presence of which death shall lose its 
sting, and the grave its terror; and we, in calm 
joy, walk all the days of our appointed time, 
until our great change shall come. Amen. — 
George Dawson. 

CXXIX 

A Child^s Morningf Prayer 

O THOU eternal Fountain of all wisdom, whom 
I cannot see or know but by the means of thy 
own light, vouchsafe to manifest thyself to my 
soul, and teach me to know aright thee the only 
true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. 

blessed Sun of Righteousness, arise upon me 
with healing in thy wings, to scatter all the clouds 
of folly and ignorance that overspread my soul. 
Open my eyes to see the wondrous things thy 
love has wrought. Suffer me not to remain in 
darkness concerning anything that is needful for 
me to know in order to my present peace and my 
eternal glory. O Lord, incline mine ears to 
wisdom, and my heart to understanding, that 

1 may follow on to know the Lord, and increase 
in the knowledge and love of God. Give me, O 
Lord, that highest learning, to know thee; and 
that best wisdom, to know myself. Command 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

a blessing on my studies and endeavors ; and bless 
me, and help me, Lord, in my learning all such 
things as shall stand me in stead, and do me 
good. Let my soul and body, and all their 
powers, be under thy conduct, and employed to 
thy glory. Show me thy ways, O Lord, and 
lead me into truth; and whatever I am ignorant 
of, unto me let it be given to know the mysteries 
of thy kingdom ; and let me count all things but 
dross for the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ Jesus my Lord; to whom, with thee and 
the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory forever 
and ever. Amen. — From John Wesley's Prayers 
for Children, 

cxxx 

In the Eveningf 

Forgive us, O Lord, if we have this day said 
or done anything to increase the pain of the 
world. Pardon the unkind word, the impatient 
gesture, the hard and selfish deed, the failure to 
show sympathy and kindly help where we had 
opportunity, but missed it ; and enable us to live 
that we may daily do something to lessen the 
tide of human sorrow and add to the sum of 
human happiness. We have our own sorrows, 
O Father; we wait for footsteps that do not 
come ; we yearn for sympathy which is not given ; 
we knock at doors that do not open ; we think of 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

graves that hide our dearest treasures; we fear 
the loneHness, the changes and chances of this 
mortal Hfe and the mystery of that unknown 
future that stretches away in the dark Hke a 
moor beyond the Hght of home. But thou art 
ours, and we are thine ; nothing can ever separate 
us from thee. Do not leave us orphans, but come 
to us by thy Son and by thy Spirit. Only let us 
not miss the lesson of pain and sorrow and long 
waiting, but may we be made perfect through 
suffering. Amen. — The Congregationalist. 



CXXXI 
Just fof To-day 

Just for to-day; to-morrow is not mine, 

And may be spent where days unclouded shine. 

This cross is heavy for an upward way, 

My weak hands tremble; give me strength to-day. 

Just for to-day; the poorest child am I 
That heavenward looks, yet ravens when they cry 
Receive Thy bounty, though despised are they; 
Remember, then, this lowly heart to-day. 

Just for to-day; thy manna food I ask 

That I may go rejoicing to my task. 

And if from cooling streams my feet should stray, 

Let some rock prove a fountain for to-day. 

Just for to-day; it is much better so; 
I might grow arrogant did I not know 

126 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

My poverty, yet find it sweet to say, 
"It is thy gift, the blessing of to-day." 

Just for to-day ; what more can heart demand 
From one who will each longing understand? 
Thy love withholds no treasure, so I pray: 
*'Choose what may come, but give me strength to-day." 

— Myra Goodwin Plants. 



CXXXII 

A Child^s Evening Ptaycr 

Almighty God, who art the gracious preserver 
of all mankind, I desire now to offer unto thee 
my praise and thanksgivings for all the blessings 
thou hast this day bestowed upon me. I confess, 
O my God, that I am unworthy of the least of all 
thy mercies; for I have gone astray like a lost 
sheep. I have followed too much the devices and 
desires of my own heart. I have offended against 
thy holy laws. I have left undone those things 
which I ought to have done, and have done those 
things which I ought not to have done ; and there 
is no health in me. But thou, O Lord, have 
mercy upon me, a miserable offender. Spare me, 
O Lord, who now confess my faults unto thee. 
Enable me to bewail my manifold sins and of- 
fenses, which I have from time to time most 
grievously committed, by thought, word, and 
deed, against thy divine majesty. Have mercy 

127 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

upon me, have mercy upon me, most merciful 
Father; for my Saviour Jesus Christ's sake, 
forgive me all that is past, and grant me thy 
grace, that I may ever hereafter serve and please 
thee, in newness of life, to the honor and glory 
of thy name, through Jesus Christ my Lord and 
Saviour. Take me under thy gracious care and 
keeping this night ; save and defend me from all 
dangers. Grant unto my body rest in my bed, 
and unto my soul rest in thyself ; and be thou my 
God and my guide, my hope and my help, my 
joy and my comfort, now and for evermore, 
through Jesus Christ my Redeemer. Amen. — 
From John Wesley's Prayers for Children. 

CXXXIII 

By Day and by Nigfht 

O Lord our God, who art the eternal Shep- 
herd and Guardian of the souls of men, look upon 
thy servants and thine inheritance. For to thee 
thy servants bow the head, and lift up their 
voice, waiting for thy pardon and salvation. 
Guard them at all times, and this evening and 
the ensuing night, from every adverse working 
of any enemy, and from idle thoughts and wicked 
imaginations. O Lord our God, refresh us with 
quiet sleep when we are wearied with the day's 
labor; that being assisted with the help which 

128 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

our weakness needs, we may be devoted to thee 
in body and in mind. Be present, O Lord, to our 
prayers, and protect us by day and night ; that in 
all successive changes of time we may be 
strengthened by thine unchangeableness, who 
art our Father forever. Amen. — From Psalms 
and Litanies, by Rowland Williams, D.D, 

CXXXIV 

Lord, We Need Thee 

O Lord, our Father, thou hast promised to 
satisfy the longing soul, and to fill the hungry 
soul with goodness. Thou hast declared that they 
who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall 
be filled. We come to thee pleading the promises 
of thy word, and crying out to thee in our con- 
scious need. Our burdens, our sins, our sor- 
rows, and our wants are more than can be 
numbered. We need a deeper knowledge of our- 
selves, a penitential sorrow in view of our trans- 
gressions, a vivid sense of our danger, a larger 
vision of thy compassion. Beyond all else, O 
Lord, we need thee — thy love, thy renewing 
Spirit, thy cleansing grace, thine abundant mercy. 
Waken within us a new longing for thyself. 
May our souls cry out after the living God, and 
in thy help and grace may we be blessed and 
satisfied. Amen. — /. B, Y. 

129 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

cxxxv 

God^s Mercy 

O GoD^ we look back with amazement at thy 
mercy. Truly, hadst thou dealt with us after our 
sins, thou wouldst have forsaken such rebellious 
creatures as we are, and cast us off forever. We 
have been indifferent to thy claims upon us. We 
have not kept thy commandments. We have 
accepted and enjoyed thy mercies, unmindful of 
the loving hand which daily dispenses them. We 
have permitted the world, with its vanities, to 
drive thee away from our thoughts, and to usurp 
that place in our hearts which should be thine, 
O Lord. We have followed the devices and de- 
sires of our own evil hearts, instead of adoring 
and loving and serving thee. And yet thou art 
with us still. Our peaceful home, our numerous 
domestic comforts, our health and strength, our 
bonds of family love, our precious friendships, 
our pleasant relationship to many around us, 
and the sources of gratification thou dost open 
before us, all declare thy forbearance, long-suffer- 
ing, bountifulness, and patient fatherly love. 
Forgive us, guide us, vSave us. For Christ's 
sake. Amen. — British Weekly, 

130 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXXXVI 
Over It All 

Over it all — the care and the fret, 

The mixture of joy and sad regret, 

The anxious thought and the burdened heart, 

The bitter loss and the cruel smart — 

Over it all — this puzzling dream — 

His glad love shines with holy beam. 

Over it all — the hope and the fear, 

The struggle for right when wrong is near, 

The kind intent, though the words be cold, 

The prayer for patience and love's sweet hold — 

Over it all his justice lies 

Unchanged by sudden or dark surprise. 

Over it all — the day and the night — 
The hours of dark, the seasons of light, 
Mistakes and blunders and faults and all 
The pitiful cries from those who fall — 
His kindness waits to help and bless 
With a Father's touch of tenderness. 

And he sees it all and reads aright 
As we cannot do with blinded sight. 
And we dare not blame, we dare not chide 
When others falter or turn aside; 
We see in part, we know but in part, 
The human thought and the human heart; 
And 'tis well to leave to his own care 
The open judgment — it must be fair — 
And give him thanks that over it all 
His mercy answers his children's call. 

— Anna Wilson Simmons. 
131 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXXXVII 

A Child's Devotions 

O Lord God Almighty, Fountain of all good- 
ness, and Father of all mercies, I desire again to 
bow my knee before thy holy majesty, humbly 
beseeching thee to accept my praise and thanks- 
giving for thy mercies to me in the night season. 
I laid me down and slept, and rose up again in 
safety; for it was thou only, O Lord, that sus- 
tainedst me. And now, O my soul, return unto 
thy rest. Look upon me, O Lord, in thy rich 
mercy, and, for thy dear Son's sake, be gracious 
unto my soul. Lighten my darkness, I beseech 
thee, O Lord, and let the Dayspring from on high 
visit me. Enable me to cast away all the works 
of darkness, and to put upon me the armor of 
light, that I may be able to renounce the world, 
the flesh, and the devil ; to keep thy holy will and 
commandments, and to walk in the same all the 
days of my life. Give me, O Lord, wisdom to 
know the things that belong to my peace, before I 
go hence, and am no more seen. Graft in my 
heart the love of thy name, increase in me true 
religion, and nourish me with all goodness. Give 
me the spirit to think and do always such things 
as be rightful. Teach me to ask and seek only 
such things as shall please thee and profit my 
soul. Give me such a measure of thy grace, that 

132 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

I may run the way of thy commandments, obtain 
thy gracious promises, and be made a partaker of 
thy heavenly treasures. Pour down upon me the 
abundance of thy mercy. Give me more than I 
can either desire or deserve. O give me the in- 
crease of faith, hope, and love ; and keep me ever 
by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead me 
to all things useful. Let thy grace always pre- 
cede and follow me, that I may be continually 
given to all good works, and may always glorify 
my Father which is in heaven. These, and every 
other blessing, for me, and for thy whole Church, 
I humbly beg in the name and for the sake of 
the merits of Jesus Christ my Redeemer. Amen. 
— From John Wesley's Prayers for Children, 



CXXXVIII 

A Morning: G)Ucct 

O Lord our heavenly Father, Almighty and 
Everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to 
the beginning of this day ; defend us in the same 
with thy mighty power ; and grant that this day 
we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of 
danger; but that all our doings, being ordered 
by thy governance, may be righteous in thy sight ; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — The 
Prayer Book, 

133 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXXXIX 

For Patience 

O Lord Jesus, grant me patience, after thine 
own example, to bear thy holy will in all things. 
Where shall we take our pattern but from thee? 
Thou callest thy followers thy friends. Thou 
didst stoop down to wash their feet who were 
not worthy to untie thy shoe. Thou didst forgive 
and restore Peter, when he had abjured thee. 
Thou didst vouchsafe to satisfy Thomas, who 
would not believe but upon his own terms. Thou 
didst forgive and pray for thy bloody persecu- 
tors. O thou Fountain and Pattern of love, 
grant that I may love thee above all things, and 
my neighbor as myself. Amen. — From Bishop 
Wilson's Sacra Privata. 

CXL 
A Child^s Ptayer 
O Lord God Almighty, Father of angels and 
men, I praise and bless thy holy name for all thy 
goodness and loving-kindness to me and all man- 
kind. I bless thee for my creation, preservation, 
and all the blessings of this life; but above all, 
for thy great love in the redemption of the world 
by our Lord Jesus Christ. I bless thee for pre- 
serving me in the night past, and bringing me 
safe to the beginning of a new day. Defend me 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

in the same way with thy mighty power, and 
grant that this day I fall into no sin, neither run 
into any kind of danger ; but let all my doings be 
so ordered by thy governance that I may do al- 
ways that which is righteous in thy sight, through 
Jesus Christ my Redeemer. Grant me such 
grace that I may be able to withstand the tempta- 
tions of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and 
with a pure heart and mind to follow the steps of 
my gracious Redeemer. Keep me, I beseech thee, 
O Lord, from all things hurtful to my soul or 
body, and grant me thy pardon and peace, that, 
being cleansed from all my sins, I may serve thee 
with a quiet mind, bring forth plenteously the 
fruit of good works, and continue in the same 
unto my life's end, through Jesus Christ my Sav- 
iour and Redeemer. Amen. — From John Wes- 
ley's Prayers for Children. 

CXLI 

The Thingfs to ODme 

O Lord, may the thoughts of death, and of 
what must follow, by the grace of God mortify 
in me all carnal security, and fondness for this 
world, and all that is in it, the lust of the flesh, 
the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. And O 
that I may make my calling and election sure, 
that I may die in peace, and rest in the mansions 

135 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

of glory, in hope of a blessed resurrection, and a 
favorable judgment at the great day. And may 
the consideration of a judgment to come oblige 
me to examine, to try, and to judge myself, that 
I may prevent a severe judgment of God, by a 
true repentance, and lead a life answerable to 
amendment of life, and that I may find mercy 
at the great day. O may the hopes of heaven and 
happiness sweeten all the troubles of this mortal 
life. O Lord Jesus, who hast redeemed us with 
thy precious blood, make me to be numbered 
with thy saints in glory everlasting. O let my 
name be found written in the Lamb's book of 
life at the great day. Amen. — From Bishop 
Wilson's Sacra Privata, 

CXLII 

An Evcningf Prayer 

O LoRD^ thou wast before all, thou art above 
all, and thy years shall not fail. Thou art the 
Searcher of our hearts ; thou knowest the dullness 
and hardness, the vanity and deceitfulness, of 
them ; we were born sinners, and so have wc 
lived. We have added sin to sin ; we have abused 
thy great and manifold mercies, tempted thy 
patience, and despised thy goodness ; and justly 
mightest thou have cast us into outer darkness, 
where is wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

136 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

But of thy loving-kindness there is no number. 
Thou still callest us to return to thee ; and who- 
soever cometh to thee, thou wilt in nowise cast 
out. O meet us with thy heavenly grace, that 
we may be able to come to thee. Be thou gra- 
ciously pleased to stretch forth thy hand, and 
loose the chains wherewith our souls are en- 
tangled. O free us from every weight of sin, 
from every yoke of bondage. O help us to feel, 
and bewail, and forsake all our sins ; and let us 
never want the comfortable assurance of thy 
forgiveness of them, thy acceptance of us, and 
thy love to us, in the blessed Son of thy eternal 
love. Amen. — John Wesley, 

CXLIII 
Strength for the Day 

Strength for the day! At early dawn I stand 
Helpless and weak, and with unrested eyes, 
Watching for day. Before its portals lies 

A low black cloud — a heavy iron band. 

Slowly the mist is lifted from the land, 
And pearl and amber gleam across the skies, 
Gladdening my upward gaze with sweet surprise. 

I own the sign ; I know that He whose hand 

Hath fringed these somber clouds with ruby ray, 
And changed that iron bar to molten gold, 

Will to my wandering steps be Guide and Stay, 

Breathe o'er my wavering heart his rest for aye, 
And give my waiting, folded palms to hold 

His blessed morning boon — strength for the day. 

— Rachel G. Also p. 
137 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 



CXLIV 

The Healer of Sorrow 

Almighty God, we would speak to thee as the 
healer of sorrow, the deliverer of bondsmen, the 
Saviour of souls. Thy Son lived for us, died for 
us, and for us rose again, and for us he inter- 
cedes ; we are Christ's, and Christ is God's. May 
we feel that we are involved in Christ, inwrought 
into his very thought and purpose and prayer; 
therein may we find our steadfastness, the as- 
surance of our heaven, and our immortality. Dry 
the tears no human hand can touch ; take hold of 
the hand of the blind, and lead them by a way 
they cannot see, but may their hearts glow with 
love as they think of the sacred end. Make the 
bed of the sick ; watch by those who are suffering 
from solitariness ; save the minds that tremble on 
the brink of madness ; turn back the purposes of 
all wicked hearts; break the arm of tyranny, 
and humble in the dust the pride that is not 
founded upon righteousness ; and thus bring us 
all, by a way short or long, difficult or easy, to the 
home, the resting place, the sanctuary, of thy 
throne. Amen. — Joseph Parker. 



138 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXLV 
An Upward Look 
O God our Father, do thou keep us from all 
narrow-mindedness and small-heartedness ; from 
all prejudice of every kind ; from all dislike to in- 
dividuals and nationalities ; from envy of the 
rich, and from contempt of the poor ; from wor- 
shiping wealth, or trying to obtain it through 
injustice to others. Lord, help us to rise to the 
dignity of our divine destiny; and set our affec- 
tions upon things above, where Christ sitteth at 
thy right hand, and at last be translated into the 
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
to whom with thee, the Father, and the Holy 
Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. — 
Christian World Pulpit, 

CXLVI 
A Collect 

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at 

this time with one accord to make our common 

supplications unto thee ; and dost promise that 

when two or three are gathered in thy name thou 

wilt grant their requests: fulfill now, O Lord, 

the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may 

be most expedient for them ; granting us in this 

world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world 

to come life everlasting. Amen. — St, Chrysos- 

torn, 

139 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXLVII 

Keep Me, Lord 

Teach me, O Lord, to number my days that I 
may apply my heart unto wisdom; ever to re- 
member my last end, that I may not dare to sin 
against thee. Let thy holy angels be ever pres- 
ent with me to keep me in all my ways from 
the malice and violence of the spirits of dark- 
ness, from evil company, and the occasions and 
opportunities of evil, from perishing in popular 
judgments, from all the ways of sinful shame, 
from the hands of all mine enemies, from a sinful 
life, and from despair in the day of my death. 
Then, O Lord Jesus, shine gloriously upon me; 
let thy mercies and the light of thy countenance 
sustain me in all my agonies, weaknesses, and 
temptations. Give me opportunity of a prudent 
and spiritual guide, and of receiving the holy 
sacrament; and let thy loving Spirit so guide 
me in the ways of peace and safety, that with 
the testimony of a good conscience and the sense 
of thy mercies and refreshment, I may depart 
this life in the unity of the Church, in the love of 
God, and a certain hope of salvation through 
Jesus Christ our Lord and most blessed Sav- 
iour. Amen. — Jeremy Taylor. 



140 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CXLVIII 
The Larger Prayer 

At first I prayed for Light : 

Could I but see the way, 
How grandly, swiftly, would I walk 

To everlasting day ! 

And next I prayed for Strength, 

That I might tread the road 
With firm, unfaltering feet, and win 

The heavens' serene abode. 

And then I asked for Faith: 

Could I but trust my God, 
I'd live enfolded in his peace, 

Though foes were all abroad. 

But now I pray for Love, 

Deep love to God and man: 
A living love that will not fail, 

However dark his plan; 

And Light and Strength and Faith 

Are opening everywhere ! 
God only waited for me till 

I prayed the larger prayer. 

— Edna Dean Cheney. 

CXLIX 

Lo^ I Come 

O THOU who art the Way, the Truth, and the 
Life, thou hast said no man can follow thee, 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

unless he renounce himself. I know, O Saviour, 
that thou hast laid nothing upon us but what the 
design of thy love made necessary for us. Thou 
sawest our disease, our idolatrous self-love, 
whereby we fell away from God, to be as gods 
ourselves, to please ourselves, and to do our own 
will. Lo, I come ! May I ever renounce my own, 
and do thy blessed will in all things ! 

I know, O God, thou didst empty thyself of thy 
eternal glory, and tookest upon thee ''the form of 
a servant." Thou who madest all men to serve 
and please thee, didst not please thyself, but wast 
the servant of all. Thou, O Lord of the hosts of 
heaven and earth, didst yield thy cheeks to be 
smitten, thy back to be scourged, and thy hands 
and feet to be nailed to an accursed tree. Thus 
didst thou, our great Master, renounce thyself; 
and can we think much of renouncing our vile 
selves? My Lord and my God, let me not pre- 
sume to be above my Master ! Let it be the one 
desire of my heart to be as my Master ; to do, not 
my own will, but the will of him that sent me. 
Amen. — John Wesley. 

CL 

Thou Fillest All Things 

O LoRD^ thou fillest all things with light, and 
all the creatures that thou hast made will rejoice 

142 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

in the noonday of thy smile. Say to those who 
are over-weighted, overborne with sorrow, trial, 
difficulty, and perplexity, that there is a day 
coming when there shall be no more sighing or 
groaning or burden-bearing, neither shall there 
be any m.ore pain. Whisper to their hearts, 
''Sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Thou 
doest all things on a grand scale. Thou dost 
load the lily and the daisy with dew. Thou 
dost not spare any of thy love, the prodigality, 
the abundance, the overflowing, the overmuch- 
ness of thy love. The sunshine that falls off the 
little globe we inhabit fills with morning light 
worlds without number. Thou dost give with- 
out impoverishment, and if thou didst withhold, 
it would not enrich thee. The river of God is 
full of water, and abundance stands at thy right 
hand like an angel, representing the fullness and 
the tenderness of thy compassion. Hear us, help 
us, bless us this day, for Christ's sake. Amen. 
— British Weekly, 

CLI 

Help Us to Believe 

Save us, we beseech thee, O God, from ever 
attempting to make our intelligence the measure 
of thine. May the contemplation of thy knowl- 
edge help us to see our own ignorance. May 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

the manifestation of thy perfections in nature 
and providence produce in us a just sense of our 
own littleness and nothingness. What, O God, 
can we know, compared with thy knowledge? 
What can we do, compared with what thou doest ? 
Truly we might be crushed like the moth — we 
are as dust and ashes in thy sight. But more — 
much more, O God, are we amazed when we try 
to know what is included in sin and holiness, to 
comprehend the mysteries of good and evil. Here 
also thou knowest all things. May we be willing 
to learn from thee. May we believe sin to be 
what thy word declares it to be. May we be- 
lieve that what it has done upon our nature is 
what that word affirms it to have done. We 
confess, O Lord, that thou alone knowest our 
case as it is, and that thou alone canst minister 
to it effectually. Thou art the one physician, by 
whose healing power we may be made whole. 
Amen. — Anonymous, 

CLII 

Let None of Us Be Lost 

O FAITHFUL and merciful Saviour, thou 
who lookest on every soul, which the Father hath 
given thee, as a precious jewel, and makest it thy 
concern to secure and return it to him unhurt at 
the last day: let this inspire us with thy holy 

144 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

confidence, and exceeding joy, as knowing that 
no one can snatch us out of thine almighty hand, 
and that thy mediatorial prayer will be fulfilled 
in us also, if we do but continue in thy ways. 
Keep us, then, as the apple of thine eye, that 
none of us may be lost ; but that, one day, we may 
be where thou art, and see thy transcendent 
glory. Grant this, O Lord, for the sake of thy 
meritorious intercession. Amen. — From Ram- 
bach's Meditations and Contemplations, 

CLIII 

Sabbath Invocation 

Forth from out of thine infinite fullness, O 
thou whose thoughts move the endless procession 
of summer in all fruitfulness and beauty, forth 
from thine own self, the Center of excellence, 
give to us, this day, life and light and joy, that 
we may seem to ourselves to be enwrapped by our 
God, to live in him, to partake of him, and to be 
apprehended by him. Remove all doubts, all 
darkness, all misapprehension from our minds ; 
and as thou dost blow away the clouds and 
storms, that we may behold the stars by night 
and the sun by day, so may our fear and care be 
driven away, that this morning we may behold 
thee, and rejoice in thee, feel thy life and find 
warmth in thee. This is our privilege and thy 

145 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

gift. Behold our weakness, and help us to such 
strength as is needed. May all holy thoughts go 
forth ascending; and before thee may our poor 
sacrifice — the best that we can offer, and yet 
poor— be acceptable to thee, not for its sake, but 
for the sake of the love which thou bearest toward 
us, thy children, and for thine own name's sake. 
Amen. — Henry Ward Beecher. 

CUV 
Fof the Spirit of Devotion 

O Lord my God, thou art all my good, and 
who am I that I should dare to speak unto thee ? 
I am the very poorest of thy servants, yea, indeed 
I am much poorer and more despicable than I 
know or dare to say. Nevertheless remember, O 
Lord, that I am nothing, I have nothing, and can 
do nothing. Thou only art good, just, and holy; 
thou canst do all things, art over all things, fillest 
all things, leaving empty only the sinner. Call 
to mind thy tender mercies, and fill my heart 
with thy grace, thou who wilt not that thy work 
should return to thee void. 

How can I bear this miserable life unless thy 
mercy and grace strengthen me ? Turn not away 
thy face from me; delay not thy visitation. 
Withdraw not thou thy comfort from me, lest 
my soul ^^gasp after thee as a thirsty land." 

146 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Lord, teach me to do thy will, teach me to walk 
humbly and uprightly before thee, for thou art 
my wisdom, who knowest me in truth, and 
knewest me before the world was made and be- 
fore I was born into the world. — Frotn Imitatio 
Christi, 

CLV 
Life's Answer 

I KNOW not if the dark or bright 

Shall be my lot : 
If that wherein my hopes delight 

Be best, or not. 

It may be mine to drag for years 

Toil's heavy chain: 
Or day and night my meat be tears 

On bed of pain. 

Dear faces may surround my hearth, 

With smiles and glee: 
Or I may dwell alone, and mirth 

Be strange to me. 

My bark is wafted to the strand 

By breath divine: 
And on the helm there rests a hand 

Other than mine. 

One who has known in storms to sail 

I have on board : 
Above the raving of the gale 

I hear my Lord. 
147 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

He holds me when the billows smite, 

I shall not fall: 
If sharp, 'tis short; if long, 'tis light; 

He tempers all. 

Safe to the land — safe to the land. 

The end is this: 
And then with him go hand in hand 

Far into bliss. 

—Henry Alford, D,D. 



CLVI 

For Missions 

Almighty God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ 
didst give commandment to the holy apostles, 
that they should go into all the world and 
preach the Gospel to every creature, grant to us 
whom thou hast called into thy Church a ready 
will to obey thy word, and fill us with a hearty 
desire to make thy way known upon earth, thy 
saving health among all nations. Look with com- 
passion upon the heathen that have not known 
thee, and on the multitudes that are scattered 
abroad as sheep having no shepherd. O heaven- 
ly Father, Lord of the harvest, have respect, we 
beseech thee, to our prayers, and send forth 
laborers into thine harvest. Fit and prepare 
them by thy grace for the work of their 
ministry; give them the spirit of power and of 

148 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

love and of a sound mind; strengthen them to 
endure hardness ; and grant that by their life and 
doctrine they may set forth thy glory, and set 
forward the salvation of all men; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. — Bishop Lancelot An- 
drewes. 

CLVII 
For India 

O God, who hast made of one blood all nations 
of men to dwell upon the face of thy whole earth, 
and who didst send thy blessed Son to preach 
peace to them that are afar off and to them that 
are nigh: grant that all the people of Hindu, 
Buddhist, and Mohammedan lands may feel after 
thee and fmd thee ; and hasten, O Lord, the ful- 
fillment of thy promise to pour out thy Spirit 
upon all flesh. 

O Lord God, who rulest in the kingdoms of 
men and givest them to whomsoever thou wilt, 
we present our humble supplication before thee 
in behalf of India. Give us a spirit of true com- 
passion for the multitudes in that land, who yet 
walk in darkness and the shadow of death. Suf- 
fer them no longer to bow down to idols which 
their own hands have made. Lead them from 
the corrupt worship of false gods to worship 
thee in the beauty of holiness. Have pity on 

149 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

their blindness, their misplaced confidence, their 
mistaken zeal, their self-inflicted sufferings. 
Teach them the pure mystery of the incarnation 
of thy blessed Son. Deliver them from their 
dread of the powers of darkness. Raise up 
among them, O Lord, teachers of thy truth, who 
may lead them to embrace the holy faith of thy 
Church; for thy mercy's sake, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. — Bishop Lancelot An- 
drewes. 

CLVIII 
Needed Blessingfs 

We ask not that our path be always bright, 
But for thy aid to walk therein aright, 
That thou, O Lord, through all its devious way, 
Wilt give us strength sufficient to our day. 
For this, for this we pray. 

Not for the fleeting joys that earth bestows, 
Not for exemption from its many woes ; 
But that, come joy or woe, come good or ill, 
With childlike faith we trust thy guidance still, 
And do thy holy will. 

Teach us, dear Lord, to find the latent good 
That sorrow yields, when rightly understood: 
And for the frequent joy that crowns our days 
Help us with grateful hearts our hymns to raise, 
Of thankfulness and praise. 

— William H, Burleigh. 
150 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CLIX 

Prayer of Motherhood 

Father in heaven, it is by the vision of thy 
relation to us that we can apprehend our relation 
to these little ones. As we have accepted that 
high trust, so make us loyal to it. When our 
feet grow weary and our faith grows dim, help 
us to follow close after the ever-perfect One who 
taught even as we are trying to teach. He it was 
whom the common people heard gladly. He it 
was who disdained not the use of objects and 
symbols, remembering it was the childhood of the 
race. He it was who spake in parables and 
stories, laying bare the soul of man and heart 
of nature, and revealing each by divine analogy. 
He it was who took the little ones in his arms 
and blessed them ; who set the child in the midst, 
saying, ''Except ye become as one of these.'' May 
the afterglow of that inspired teaching ever 
shine upon the path we are treading. May we 
bath€ our tired spirits in its warmth and glory, 
and kindle our torches at the splendor of its light. 
We remember that he told us to feed his lambs. 
Dear Lord, help all the faithful shepherds who 
care for the ninety and nine that lie in the safe 
cover of the fold ; help us, too, for we are the 
wandering shepherds whose part it is to go out 
over the bleak hills, up the mountain sides and 

151 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

rocky places, and gather in out of the storm 
and stress of things all the poor, unshepherded, 
wee bit lammies that have either wandered for- 
lornly away from shelter, or have been born in 
the wilderness and know no other home. Such a 
one has just strayed into the fold from the 
dreary hill country. It needs a wiser shepherd 
than any of us. Grant that by gentleness, 
patience, and insight we may atone somewhat for 
our lack of wisdom and skill. We read among 
thy mysteries that the divine Child was born of 
a virgin. May he be born again and born daily 
in our hearts, already touched by that remem- 
brance and consecrated by its meaning. And this 
we ask for his love's sake. Amen. — Kate Doug- 
las Wiggin, in Marm Lisa, 

CLX 

On New Yearns Day 

O LoRD^ thou art the God of our fathers, the 
King eternal, immortal, invisible. We would 
bless thee at all times, in sorrow and in joy, in 
privation and in plenty, in life and in death, in 
time and in eternity. And now, with a new 
sense of gratefulness, with glad memories of the 
old year that is gone, and with hopeful confi- 
dence in view of the new year that has begun, 
we come afresh to thy feet; to thee who hast 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

crowned the year with thy goodness; to thee 
whose >ears do not change ; to thee who hast de- 
clared that thy Son, our Mediator and Redeemer, 
is the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever. 
With thankfulness for past mercies, with the 
prayer that our times may ever be in thy hands 
in the future ; with the consecration of our lives 
anew to thy service, and pleading that thy mercy 
shall be shown toward our sins, that thy care 
shall be around us forever, that our lives shall be 
fashioned after the image of our Lord, that we 
may be solaced and comforted in all the toils, and 
cares, and griefs, and dangers of the coming year 
with thy continual presence, even thus, O Lord 
our Father, we come to thee. Fulfill thy blessed 
word to us in the experiences that are before us, 
— that word which has said, ''When thou passest 
through the waters, I will be with thee!'' Let 
this, O Lord, be the urgent cry of our hearts, 
"Take not thy Holy Spirit from us ; abide with us 
even unto the end ; then take us to be with thee 
forever.'' Amen. — /. B, Y. 

CLXI 

A Minister's Prayer of Consecration 

O Lord my God, I am not worthy that thou 
shouldest come under my roof; yet thou hast 
honored thy servant with appointing him to stand 

153 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

in thy house, and to serve at thy holy altar. 
To thee and to thy service I devote myself, soul, 
body, and spirit, with all their powers and 
faculties. Fill my memory with the words of 
thy law; enlighten my understanding with the 
illumination of the Holy Ghost ; and may all the 
wishes and desires of my will center in what 
thou hast commanded. And, to make me instru- 
mental in promoting the salvation of the people 
now committed to my charge, grant that I may 
faithfully administer thy holy sacraments, and 
by my life and doctrine set forth thy true and 
lively word. Be ever with me in the performance 
of all the duties of my ministry; in prayer, to 
quicken my devotion ; in praises, to heighten my 
love and gratitude ; in preaching, to give a readi- 
ness of thought and expression suitable to the 
clearness and excellency of thy holy word. Grant 
this for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son, our 
Saviour. Amen. — From the Book of Common 
Prayer. 

CLXII 

At the Age of Twenty-one 

I AM this day twenty-one years old, and after 
looking back upon my past life, and forward to 
eternity, having also sought instruction in God's 
word and at the throne of grace, I desire with 

154 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

few words, but with a fixed heart, to consecrate 
myself, soul and body, now and forever, to the 
God who made me. With this intent I now most 
solemnly renounce the service of the devil, my 
late master; abandoning not only certain sins, 
but sin itself, with all its pleasures, honors, and 
emoluments ; desiring and beseeching God never 
more to suffer me to taste the least enjoyment of 
a sinful nature. I also bind my conscience, in the 
presence of the jealous God who searches the 
heart and cannot look upon iniquity without ab- 
horrence, to watch against all temptation, and if 
necessary to resist unto blood, striving against 
sin. At the same time I renounce all dependence 
upon anything I may be, do, or suffer, here or 
hereafter, as a ground of deliverance from hell 
— trusting for mercy to the cross of Christ. And 
having thus discharged myself from all allegiance 
to the prince of darkness, I submit myself to 
God in Christ ; desiring and consenting to be his 
forever, to do and suffer his will in the joyful 
hope of an eternal recompense. And now, having 
learned by sad experience the deceitfulness of my 
own heart, the weakness of my resolution, and 
the craft of Satan, I throw myself at thy feet, O 
Lord, and claim the promise of thy strengthen- 
ing and illuminating grace to aid me in the per- 
formance of these vows. O let me not, I pray 
thee, be forsworn ! Let me not insult thy majesty 

155 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

by perjury so gross, so impious, so damnable! 
Keep me, O God, in the hollow of thy hand! 
For the sake of thy dear Son impart to me the 
gift of thy free Spirit to purify, enlighten, and 
transform my heart! Through life may I be 
thine, and in death, O Lord, in death be thou my 
God! Again, and again, and agam I solemnly 
devote myself to God the Father, God the Son, 
and God the Holy Ghost ; desiring nothing, hop- 
ing nothing, fearing nothing, if I may but be 
accepted in the name of Christ ! Amen. — Joseph 
Addison Alexander, D.D."^ 



CLXIII 

For the Advent Season 

O Almighty God, who by the birth of thj 
Holy One into the world didst give thy true light 
to dawn upon our darkness, grant that as thou 
hast given us to believe in the mystery of his 
incarnation, and hast made us partakers of the 
divine nature, so in the world to come we may 
ever abide with him, in the glory of his kingdom. 
O God, who makest us glad with the yearly re- 
membrance of the birth of thine only Son Jesus 
Christ, grant that as we joyfully receive him for 



* Entered in his Journal on his twenty-first birthday anniversary, 
April 24, 1830. Cited in his Life^ by H. C. Alexander, page 239. 

156 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence 
behold him when he shall come to be our Judge ; 
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy 
Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. — 
The Prayer Book. 

CLXIV 

Reveal Thyself to Us 

Thou who dost all things give, 
Be not thyself forgot! 
No longer may thy children live 
As if their God were not! 

But every day and hour, 
Since thou dost bless us thus, 
In still increasing light and power 
Reveal thyself to us; 

Until our faith shall be 
Stronger than words can tell, 
And we shall live beholding thee, 
O thou Invisible! 

— William Henry Furness. 

CLXV 

For Eastet Sunday 

O God our Father, we come to thee with glad- 
ness and with song, rejoicing in the resurrection 
of our Lord, whereby death, the last enemy, has 
been destroyed. We would realize by faith that 
Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, has indeed tasted 

157 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

death for every man. Open our blind eyes to see 
him as our Saviour, overcoming the dangers and 
the terrors of the tomb, scattering the hosts of 
darkness, making clear a passageway for his 
saints into glory, and procuring by his death on 
the cross and his victory over the grave comfort 
for the sorrowing, and strength for all who die 
in the Lord. Let the gladness of this Easter day 
enter into homes of bereavement, encourage the 
despairing, and cheer the oppressed everywhere. 
Help us to commit our lives to thy keeping, know- 
ing that, whether we live or die, we are the 
Lord's. Raise us from the death of sin to the life 
of righteousness, and may the strength, the con- 
fidence, and the joy begotten in our hearts on 
this day of gladness by thy grace, and by our 
fresh vision of the risen Lord, never die out. 
May they increase more and more, unto the per- 
fect day. Amen. — J. B. Y. 

CLXVI 
For Eastertide 

O Lord Jesus Christ, thou holy and spotless 
Lamb of God, who didst take upon thyself the 
curse of sin which was due to us : we unite with 
all the heavenly host of the redeemed in ascrib- 
ing unto thee power, and riches, and wisdom, 
and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. 

158 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

We bless thee for all the burdens thou hast borne, 
for all the tears thou hast wept, for all the pains 
thou hast suffered, for every word of comfort 
thou hast spoken on the cross, for every conflict 
with the powers of darkness, and for thine eternal 
victory over the terrors of death and the pains 
of hell. Amen. — Church of Scotland Prayer 
Book, 

CLXVII 

After Eastef 

O THOU God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, we render thee most humble and hearty 
thanks that when he had descended into the 
grave, thou didst not suffer thy Holy One to 
see corruption, but didst show unto him the path 
of life and raise him from the dead, and set him 
at thine own right hand in the heavenly places. 
Grant us grace, we beseech thee, to apprehend 
with true faith the glorious mystery of our Sav- 
iour's resurrection, and fill our hearts with joy, 
and a lively hope that amid all the sorrows, trials, 
and temptations of our mortal state, and in the 
hour of death we may derive strength and 
comfort from this sure pledge of an inheritance 
incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not 
away. Amen. — Church of Scotland Prayer 
Book. 

I5Q 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CLXVIII 

A Child^s Morning: Petition 

O THOU Father of all mercies, and God of all 
goodness, I praise and bless thy name for thy 
mercies and favors unto me in the night past, 
and for bringing me safe to behold the light of 
a new day. Send down thy heavenly grace into 
my soul, that I may be enabled to worship thee 
and serve thee as I ought to do. Enable me to 
believe in thee, to fear thee, and to love thee with 
all my heart, and soul, and strength ; that I may 
honor thy holy name and word, and serve thee 
truly, this, and all the days of my life. Give 
me thy grace, that I may love all mankind as my- 
self, and do unto all, as I would they should do 
unto me. Enable me to love and honor my par- 
ents, obey my superiors, and submit to all my 
teachers. Suffer me not to hurt anybody by word 
or deed. Make me just and honest in all my 
dealings. Let me not bear any malice or hatred 
in my heart. Keep my hands from picking and 
stealing, my tongue from evil speaking, lying, 
and slandering; keep my body in temperance, 
soberness, and chastity ; that I may not covet any 
person's goods, but learn and labor to get my own 
living, and to do my duty in the state of life 
wherein it shall please thee to place me. Direct 
me so to pass through things temporal that I 

i6o 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

may not finally lose the things which are eternal, 
but at last be received into thy presence, where 
is fullness of joy, and be seated at thy right 
hand, where are pleasures for evermore, through 
Jesus Christ my Saviour. Amen. — From John 
Wesley's Prayers for Children. 

CLXIX 

The Spifif s Help 

Truly, O Lord, we know not what to pray for 
as we ought, but we thank thee for the faithful 
promise that thy Spirit maketh intercession in us, 
and we thank thee for the triumphant fact that 
thine enthroned Son makes intercession for us ; 
and so, poor and weak and ignorant and way- 
ward as we are, we do come to thee with confi- 
dence, and we beseech thee that the prayers which 
we make may be sweet indeed, because thou 
givest the spirit by which we pray. Draw us, 
O Lord, we beseech thee, by the perception of the 
great blessedness that there is in union with 
thee, to desire of that union of heart and mind 
and will more than ever we have done, and to 
shape our lives so that these may present no 
obstacles to God's dwelling with us and our 
dwelling with him. We beseech thee for thy 
divine influences in our hearts ; we pray thee that 
we may be molded thereby into the likeness of thy 

i6i 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

dear Son, that he may be the firstborn among 
many brethren; and we beseech thee that since 
thou dost knit us to thyself by the bonds which 
no creature is able to separate we may never 
rend ourselves away by indifference, by neg- 
ligence, by preference of our own inclinations or 
purposes, or by cherishing in our hearts any 
evil. Lord, cleanse us. Lord, uplift us. Lord, 
help us to dwell in the light and to walk in the 
light as thou art in the light, that our change- 
able being may in some measure be like thy stead- 
fast Being, and that we may manifest ourselves 
to be the children of the light. We ask these 
blessings through him in whom we know that 
thou hast laid up all blessings, and made them 
accessible to our faith, even Jesus Christ, our 
Lord and Saviour. Amen. — Alexander McLaren, 



CLXX 
The Answer 

*• Before they call, I will answer." 

And can it be that Thou didst know 
And plan for me so long ago, 

And made it best 
That when all anxiously I prayed 
The raging of the tumult stayed 

And I found rest? 

Yes, thou hast said, before we pray 
Not only dost not say me nay, 
But in delight 

162 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Hast called from out infinitude 
A tender, grand, and sweet prelude 
For this glad night. 

Lord, with new faith I wait the morn 
When all the joys and hopes, heaven-born, 

Shall culminate. 
When we our loving Lord shall see, 
When we shall be fore'er with thee. 

Past heaven's gate. 
— Elisabeth Perry Howland, in New York Observer, 

CLXXI 
Before Taking the Lord^s Sapper 
O MOST gracious and eternal God, the helper of 
the helpless, the comforter of the comfortless, 
the hope of the afflicted, the bread of the hungry, 
the drink of the thirsty, and the Saviour of all 
them that wait upon thee : I bless and glorify thy 
name, and adore thy goodness, and delight in thy 
love, that thou hast once more given me the op- 
portunity of receiving the body and blood of my 
dearest Saviour. O take from me all inclination 
to sin or vanity; let not my affections dwell be- 
low, but soar upward to the element of love, to 
the seat of God, the regions of glory, and the 
inheritance of Jesus ; that I may hunger and 
thirst for the bread of life, and the wine of elect 
souls, and may know no love but the love of 
God, and the most merciful Jesus. Amen. — 
From Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living, 

163 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CLXXII 

The End of the Year 

Most gracious God, who hast been infinitely 
merciful to us, not only in the year past, but 
through all the years of our life, be pleased to 
accept our most unfeigned thanks for thine in- 
numerable blessings to us; graciously pardoning 
the manifold sins and infirmities of our life past, 
and bountifully bestowing upon us all those 
graces and virtues which may render us ac- 
ceptable to thee. And, every year which thou 
shalt be pleased to add to our lives, add also, we 
humbly implore thee, more strength to our faith, 
more ardor to our love, and a greater perfection 
to our obedience; and grant that, in a humble 
sincerity and constant perseverance, we may 
serve thee most faithfully the remainder of our 
lives, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. — Charles 
How. 

CLXXIII 

The Hour of Death 

From sudden, from unprepared death, good 
Lord, deliver me, my children, and family, and 
all that desire my prayers. May we never be 
surprised in sin; and may thy mercy supply 
whatever shall be wanting in our preparation for 
death. For myself, with the submission of a 

164 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

penitent sinner, under the righteous sentence of 
death passed upon all mankind, I heg that I may 
so live as that I may with joy resign my life a 
sacrifice of obedience, in union with that of my 
Saviour's to thee, O Father, trusting in thy 
mercy and goodness, and promises in Jesus 
Christ, at the hour of death, and in the day of 
judgment. Amen. — From Bishop Wilson's Sa- 
cra Privata, 

CLXXIV 

My Times Arc in Thy Hand 

I TAKE my pilgrim staff anew, 
Life's path, untrodden, to pursue, 
Thy guiding eye, my Lord, I view; 
My times are in thy hand. 

Throughout the year, my heavenly Friend, 
On thy blest guidance I depend; 
From its commencement to its end 
My times are in thy hand. 

— Author unknown. 

CLXXV 

Send Forth Thy Light and Thy Truth 

O Invisible God, who seest all things; eternal 
Light, before whom all darkness is light, and in 
comparison with whom every other light is but 
darkness; the weak eyes of our understanding 
cannot bear the open and full rays of thy inac- 
cessible light; and yet without some glimpses of 

i6s 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

that light from heaven we can never direct our 
steps nor proceed toward that country which is 
the habitation of Hght. May it therefore please 
thee, O Father of lights, to send forth thy light 
and thy truth, that they may lead us directly to 
thy holy mountain. Thou art good, and the 
Fountain of goodness: give us understanding 
that we may keep thy precepts. Purify, we pray 
thee, our souls from all impure imaginations, 
that thy most beautiful and holy image may be 
again renewed within us, and, till that most 
blessed day break and the shadows flee away, let 
thy Spirit be continually with us, constantly 
directing and supporting our steps, that all our 
endeavors may serve to promote the honor of thy 
blessed name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
Amen. — Archbishop Leighton. 

CLXXVI 

A Pastor's Prayer 

LoRD^ give me grace to do that which is right. 
My trust is in thee. Thou art my refuge and 
my fortress, my God, and, having thee as my 
sure and unchanging good, I am not afraid of 
the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor of 
the destruction which wasteth at noonday. Lord, 
direct my steps! Preserve me from the vanity 
and vainglory which might wickedly lead me to 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

expose myself to danger, and from the selfish fear 
which would drive me from my duty. Lead me 
in truth, and teach me, and may I at this trying 
time be and do that which is right as thy son and 
ministering servant, and whether by life or by 
death may I glorify thee; for living or dying I 
am thine, through Jesus Christ. Amen. — Nor- 
man Macleod. 

CLXXVII 

Quicken Otir Gratitude 

Lord, for the erring thought 
Not into evil wrought; 
Lord, for the wicked will 
Betrayed and baffled still ; 
For the heart from itself kept. 
Our thanksgiving accept. 

For ignorant hopes that were 
Broken to our blind prayer ; 
For pain, death, sorrow, sent 
Unto our chastisement; 
For all loss of seeming good, 
Quicken our gratitude ! 

— William Dean How ells. 

CLXXVIII 

For Humility 

Mercy and help, O Lord, my Sovereign Lord ! 
Thou w^ho lovest little children, make me a little 
child ! Make me humble, simple-hearted, tender, 

167 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

guileless, and confiding! Kill my selfish pride i 
Shiver my hard heart i Break my stubborn 
spirit ! Make me love my kind by making me to 
love thee! O soften me, my Saviour, by show- 
ing me thy own tender, bleeding, melting heart. 
Purge envy from my heart by causing me to live 
and work for thee. O that this foul fiend were 
wholly dispossessed ! I bless thee for trials — may 
they do me good. Compel me to remember that 
I am not my own. Save me from being the ob- 
ject of envy or ill will. Save me from the wicked- 
ness of trying to excite it. Lord, I would give 
the world for true humility. O, make me — make 
me humble! Amen. — Joseph Addison Alex- 
ander. 

CLXXIX 

Welcome, Eternal Springf 

I HAVE enjoyed the spring of life ; I have en- 
dured the toils of its summer; I have culled the 
fruits of its autumn ; I am now passing through 
the rigors of its winter; and I am neither for- 
saken of God, nor abandoned by man. I see at 
no great distance the dawn of a new day; the 
first of a spring that shall be eternal. It is ad- 
vancing to meet me ! I run to embrace it. Wel- 
come, eternal spring! Hallelujah! Lord, may I 
live to thee, die in thee, and be with thee to all 
eternity ! Amen. — Adam Clarke, at seventy. 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CLXXX 

Make Mc a Hclpei: 

Son of Man, let me join thy league of pity. 
Let me take the place of the angels in the ministry 
to human souls. Angels cannot meet the wants 
of my brother. They could minister to thee, for 
thou hadst their nature as well as mine. But my 
brother has not their nature. He needs some 
one who knows him ; he needs me. Send me, O 
Lord. Let me be the apostle to the weak and 
weary. Send not the cherubim and the seraphim ; 
send not the angel and the archangel. These 
have no drooping of the wing; they are never 
tired with their flight; they cannot sympathize 
with faintness. But I have borne the burden and 
the heat of the day; I have been tried in the 
furnace of pain. I have trod the dusty plain, I 
have descended the deep valley, I have climbed 
the arduous steep. I know the path of the weary, 
I can guide where the celestials never go; make 
me a helper in thy ministrant band! Amen. — 
George Matheson. 

CLXXXI 

The Beatific Vision 

O GREAT and glorious vision ! — 

The Lamb upon his throne : 
O wondrous sight for man to see ! — 

The Saviour v^ith his own ; 
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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

To drink the living waters, 

And stand upon the shore, 
Where neither sorrow, sin, nor death 

Shall ever enter more. 

O Lamb of God who reignest — 

Thou Bright and Morning Star — 
Whose glory lightens that new earth 

Which now we see from far; 
O worthy Judge Eternal, 

When thou dost bid us come, 
Then open wide the gates of pearl 

And call thy servants home ! 

— Godfrey Thring. 



CLXXXII 

For the Brokcn-Hcar ted 

O Lord, look v^ith pity and mercy upon the 
broken-hearted, upon the souls that have spoiled 
their lives, upon the children that have become 
rebellious, upon the sons that are prodigal and 
the daughters that are hard of heart. Life is 
hard with some. Some are fainting under the 
burden. Others are sighing their trouble who 
dare not speak it. Some are cut down as with 
an ax laid to the root of the tree. Let us all 
come to Jesus, Son of man. Son of God, by 
whom thou didst make the worlds. May he speak 
to us from his Cross, in the power of his atoning 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

sacrifice. May we rejoice in his forgiveness. 
Amen. — The British Weekly. 



CLXXXIII 
The Rest that Remafneth 

O Lord, blessed be thy name, there remaineth 
a rest for the people of God. Tempests may 
blow upon the earth, and kingdoms may rise and 
fall, and wars may clash and desolate the earth, 
and all things may change in perpetual revolution 
or rebound; but there remaineth a rest upon 
which shall come no storm, which shall not be 
upset by revolution, or changed except from 
glory to glory. To that great rest we aspire. 
From the weary conflict with ourselves, from our 
bondage to the flesh, from the thrall of weari- 
ness, from the burden of sinfulness, from all 
sorrow and all that brings trouble, we turn to the 
blessedness which rests in thy presence. Amen. 
— Henry Ward Beecher. 

CLXXXIV 

Fret Not Thyself 

The little sharp vexations, 
And the briers that catch and fret, 

Why not take all to the Helper 
Who has never failed us yet? 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Tell him about the heartache, 

And tell him the longings, too; 
Tell him the baffled purpose 

When we scarce know what to do; 
Then, leaving all our weakness 

With the One divinely strong, 
Forget that we bore the burden, 

And carry away the song. 

— Phillips Brooks. 



CLXXXV 
Amid Hany Infirmities 

Lord, I am weak and ignorant, timorous and 
inconstant, and I fear lest something should 
happen that may discompose the state of my 
soul, that may displease thee : do what thou wilt 
with me, so thou dost but preserve me in thy fear 
and favor. Thou knowest that it is my great 
fear; but let thy Spirit secure that nothing may 
be able to separate me from the love of God in 
Jesus Christ ; then smite me here, that thou may- 
est spare me for ever: and yet, O Lord, smite 
me friendly; for thou knowest my infirmities. 
Into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou 
hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. 
Come, Holy Spirit, help me in this conflict. 
Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen. — 
Jeremy Taylor. 

172 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CLXXXVI 

Confession and Adoration 

Lord, we have sinned against thee, but thou 
hast spared us ; we have wandered from thee, but 
thoii hast sought us ; we were lost, but thou hast 
saved us. O God, our Saviour, thou hast broken 
our chains, that we might be free; thou hast 
healed our diseased souls, that we might not 
perish; thou hast enriched us who were poor 
with the treasures of thy salvation; thou hast 
made us who had nothing to inherit all things; 
and even now all things are ours. Therefore 
with one heart, and with one voice, we laud 
and magnify thy glorious name; and with thy 
saints on earth and in heaven, we ascribe blessing, 
and honor, and glory, and power, unto Him that 
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for- 
ever and forever. Amen. — Church of Scotland 
Prayer Book. 

CLXXXVII 

Be Present in My Studies 

Almighty God, in whose hands are all the 
powers of man; who givest understanding and 
takest it away ; who, as it seemeth good unto thee, 
enlightenest the thoughts of the simple, and 
darkenest the meditations of the wise, be present 
with me in my studies and inquiries. Grant, O 

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Helps for the Quiet Hour 

Lord, that I may not lavish away the life which 
thou hast given me on useless trifles, nor waste 
it in vain searches after things which thou hast 
hidden from me. Enable me by thy Holy Spirit, 
so to shun sloth and negligence, that every day 
may discharge part of the task which thou hast 
allotted me; and so further with thy help that 
labor which without thy help must be ineffectual, 
that I may obtain, in all my undertakings, such 
success as will most promote thy glory, and the 
salvation of my own soul, for the sake of Jesus 
Christ, Amen. — Dr, Samuel Johnson (1709- 
1784). 

CLXXXVIII 

The Pathway 

Dwell ye within cot or hall. 
Be ye lord or be ye thrall. 
Have ye joy or grief for store, 
Know ye this — from every door, 
Straight across the sky*s blue meads, 
Up to heaven a pathway leads! 

Tho' ye wander faint and far 
Underneath an alien star, 
Or do nightly sink to rest 
Near the loving mother breast, 
Everywhere to him who heeds — 
Up to heaven a pathway leads ! 

— Clinton Scollard, 

174 



Helps for the Quiet Hour 

CLXXXIX 
More Likeness to Thee 

O LoRD^ give us more charity, more self-denial, 
more likeness to thee. Teach us to sacrifice our 
comforts to others, and our likings for the sake 
of doing good. Make us kindly in thought, gentle 
in word, generous in deed. Teach us that it is 
better to give than to receive; better to forget 
ourselves than to put ourselves forward ; better to 
minister than to be ministered unto. And unto 
thee, the God of Love, be glory and praise for 
ever. Amen. — Dean Henry Alford. 

cxc 

Gloria Patri 

Glory be to the Father, 
And to the Son, 
And to the Holy Ghost: 
As it was in the beginning, 
Is now, and ever shall be, 
World without end. 

Amen. 
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